Single particle characterization, source apportionment, and aging effects of ambient aerosols in Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Laura Grace

Composed of a mixture of chemical species and phases and existing in a variety of shapes and sizes, atmospheric aerosols are complex and can have serious influence on human health, the environment, and climate. In order to better understand the impact of aerosols on local to global scales, detailed measurements on the physical and chemical properties of ambient particles are essential. In addition, knowing the origin or the source of the aerosols is important for policymakers to implement targeted regulations and effective control strategies to reduce air pollution in their region. One of the most ground breaking techniques in aerosol instrumentation is single particle mass spectrometry (SPMS), which can provide online chemical composition and size information on the individual particle level. The primary focus of this work is to further improve the ability of one specific SPMS technique, aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS), for the use of identifying the specific origin of ambient aerosols, which is known as source apportionment. The ATOFMS source apportionment method utilizes a library of distinct source mass spectral signatures to match the chemical information of the single ambient particles. The unique signatures are obtained in controlled source characterization studies, such as with the exhaust emissions of heavy duty diesel vehicles (HDDV) operating on a dynamometer. The apportionment of ambient aerosols is complicated by the chemical and physical processes an individual particle can undergo as it spends time in the atmosphere, which is referred to as "aging" of the aerosol. Therefore, the performance of the source signature library technique was investigated on the ambient dataset of the highly aged environment of Riverside, California. Additionally, two specific subsets of the Riverside dataset (ultrafine particles and particles containing trace metals), which are known to cause adverse health effects, were probed in greater detail. Finally

Measurement of ambient aerosol hydration state at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the southeastern United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. F. Taylor

2011-12-01

Full Text Available We present results from two field deployments of a unique tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA configuration with two primary capabilities: identifying alternative stable or meta-stable ambient aerosol hydration states associated with hysteresis in aerosol hydration behavior and determining the actual Ambient hydration State (AS-TDMA. This data set is the first to fully classify the ambient hydration state of aerosols despite recognition that hydration state significantly impacts the roles of aerosols in climate, visibility and heterogeneous chemistry. The AS-TDMA was installed at a site in eastern Tennessee on the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park for projects during the summer of 2006 and winter of 2007–2008. During the summer, 12% of the aerosols sampled in continuous AS-TDMA measurements were found to posses two possible hydration states under ambient conditions. In every case, the more hydrated of the possible states was occupied. The remaining 88% did not posses multiple possible states. In continuous measurements during the winter, 49% of the aerosols sampled possessed two possible ambient hydration states; the remainder possessed only one. Of those aerosols with multiple possible ambient hydration states, 65% occupied the more hydrated state; 35% occupied the less hydrated state. This seasonal contrast is supported by differences in the fine particulate (PM_2.5 composition and ambient RH as measured during the two study periods. In addition to seasonal summaries, this work includes case studies depicting the variation of hydration state with changing atmospheric conditions.

Estimation of surface-level PM2.5 concentration using aerosol optical thickness through aerosol type analysis method

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qi-Xiang; Yuan, Yuan; Huang, Xing; Jiang, Yan-Qiu; Tan, He-Ping

2017-06-01

Surface-level particulate matter is closely related to column aerosol optical thickness (AOT). Previous researches have successfully used column AOT and different meteorological parameters to estimate surface-level PM concentration. In this study, the performance of a selected linear model that estimates surface-level PM2.5 concentration was evaluated following the aerosol type analysis method (ATAM) for the first time. We utilized 443 daily average data for Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, collected using Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) during the period October 2013 to April 2016. Several parameters including atmospheric boundary layer height (BLH), relative humidity (RH), and effective radius of the aerosol size distribution (Ref) were used to assess the relationship between the column AOT and PM2.5 concentration. By including the BLH, ambient RH, and effective radius, the correlation (R2) increased from 0.084 to 0.250 at Xuzhou, and with the use of ATAM, the correlation increased further to 0.335. To compare the results, 450 daily average data for Beijing, pertaining to the same period, were utilized. The study found that model correlations improved by varying degrees in different seasons and at different sites following ATAM. The average urban industry (UI) aerosol ratios at Xuzhou and Beijing were 0.792 and 0.451, respectively, demonstrating poorer air conditions at Xuzhou. PM2.5 estimation at Xuzhou showed lower correlation (R2 = 0.335) compared to Beijing (R2 = 0.407), and the increase of R2 at Xuzhou and Beijing site following use of ATAM were 33.8% and 12.4%, respectively.

Volatility and lifetime against OH heterogeneous reaction of ambient isoprene-epoxydiols-derived secondary organic aerosol (IEPOX-SOA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Weiwei; Palm, Brett B.; Day, Douglas A.; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Krechmer, Jordan E.; Peng, Zhe; de Sá, Suzane S.; Martin, Scot T.; Alexander, M. Lizabeth; Baumann, Karsten; Hacker, Lina; Kiendler-Scharr, Astrid; Koss, Abigail R.; de Gouw, Joost A.; Goldstein, Allen H.; Seco, Roger; Sjostedt, Steven J.; Park, Jeong-Hoo; Guenther, Alex B.; Kim, Saewung; Canonaco, Francesco; Prévôt, André S. H.; Brune, William H.; Jimenez, Jose L.

2016-01-01

Isoprene-epoxydiols-derived secondary organic aerosol (IEPOX-SOA) can contribute substantially to organic aerosol (OA) concentrations in forested areas under low NO conditions, hence significantly influencing the regional and global OA budgets, accounting, for example, for 16–36 % of the submicron OA in the southeastern United States (SE US) summer. Particle evaporation measurements from a thermodenuder show that the volatility of ambient IEPOX-SOA is lower than that of bulk OA and also much lower than that of known monomer IEPOX-SOA tracer species, indicating that IEPOX-SOA likely exists mostly as oligomers in the aerosol phase. The OH aging process of ambient IEPOX-SOA was investigated with an oxidation flow reactor (OFR). New IEPOX-SOA formation in the reactor was negligible, as the OFR does not accelerate processes such as aerosol uptake and reactions that do not scale with OH. Simulation results indicate that adding ~100 µg m^-3 of pure H₂SO₄ to the ambient air allows IEPOX-SOA to be efficiently formed in the reactor. The heterogeneous reaction rate coefficient of ambient IEPOX-SOA with OH radical (k_OH) was estimated as 4.0 ± 2.0 ×10^-13 cm³ molec^-1 s^-1, which is equivalent to more than a 2-week lifetime. A similar k_OH was found for measurements of OH oxidation of ambient Amazon forest air in an OFR. At higher OH exposures in the reactor (> 1 × 10¹² molec cm^-3 s), the mass loss of IEPOX-SOA due to heterogeneous reaction was mainly due to revolatilization of fragmented reaction products. We report, for the first time, OH reactive uptake coefficients (γ_OH = 0.59±0.33 in SE US and γ_OH = 0.68±0.38 in Amazon) for SOA under ambient conditions. A relative humidity dependence of k_OH and γ_OH was observed, consistent with surface-area-limited OH uptake

Volatility and lifetime against OH heterogeneous reaction of ambient isoprene-epoxydiols-derived secondary organic aerosol (IEPOX-SOA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Hu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Isoprene-epoxydiols-derived secondary organic aerosol (IEPOX-SOA can contribute substantially to organic aerosol (OA concentrations in forested areas under low NO conditions, hence significantly influencing the regional and global OA budgets, accounting, for example, for 16–36 % of the submicron OA in the southeastern United States (SE US summer. Particle evaporation measurements from a thermodenuder show that the volatility of ambient IEPOX-SOA is lower than that of bulk OA and also much lower than that of known monomer IEPOX-SOA tracer species, indicating that IEPOX-SOA likely exists mostly as oligomers in the aerosol phase. The OH aging process of ambient IEPOX-SOA was investigated with an oxidation flow reactor (OFR. New IEPOX-SOA formation in the reactor was negligible, as the OFR does not accelerate processes such as aerosol uptake and reactions that do not scale with OH. Simulation results indicate that adding  ∼  100 µg m−3 of pure H2SO4 to the ambient air allows IEPOX-SOA to be efficiently formed in the reactor. The heterogeneous reaction rate coefficient of ambient IEPOX-SOA with OH radical (kOH was estimated as 4.0 ± 2.0  ×  10−13 cm3 molec−1 s−1, which is equivalent to more than a 2-week lifetime. A similar kOH was found for measurements of OH oxidation of ambient Amazon forest air in an OFR. At higher OH exposures in the reactor (>  1  ×  1012 molec cm−3 s, the mass loss of IEPOX-SOA due to heterogeneous reaction was mainly due to revolatilization of fragmented reaction products. We report, for the first time, OH reactive uptake coefficients (γOH =  0.59 ± 0.33 in SE US and γOH =  0.68 ± 0.38 in Amazon for SOA under ambient conditions. A relative humidity dependence of kOH and γOH was observed, consistent with surface-area-limited OH uptake. No decrease of kOH was observed as OH concentrations increased. These observations of physicochemical

Sampling and chemical analysis by TXRF of size-fractionated ambient aerosols and emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

John, A.C.; Kuhlbusch, T.A.J.; Fissan, H.; Schmidt, K.-G-; Schmidt, F.; Pfeffer, H.-U.; Gladtke, D.

2000-01-01

Results of recent epidemiological studies led to new European air quality standards which require the monitoring of particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 μm (PM 10) and ≤ 2.5 μm (PM 2.5) instead of TSP (total suspended particulate matter). As these ambient air limit values will be exceeded most likely at several locations in Europe, so-called 'action plans' have to be set up to reduce particle concentrations, which requires information about sources and processes of PMx aerosols. For chemical characterization of the aerosols, different samplers were used and total reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF) was applied beside other methods (elemental and organic carbon analysis, ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometry). For TXRF analysis, a specially designed sampling unit was built where the particle size classes 10-2.5 μm and 2.5-1.0 μm were directly impacted on TXRF sample carriers. An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) was used as a back-up filter to collect particles <1 μm directly on a TXRF sample carrier. The sampling unit was calibrated in the laboratory and then used for field measurements to determine the elemental composition of the mentioned particle size fractions. One of the field campaigns was carried out at a measurement site in Duesseldorf, Germany, in November 1999. As the composition of the ambient aerosols may have been influenced by a large construction site directly in the vicinity of the station during the field campaign, not only the aerosol particles, but also construction material was sampled and analyzed by TXRF. As air quality is affected by natural and anthropogenic sources, the emissions of particles ≤ 10 μm and ≤ 2.5 μm, respectively, have to be determined to estimate their contributions to the so called coarse and fine particle modes of ambient air. Therefore, an in-stack particle sampling system was developed according to the new ambient air quality standards. This PM 10/PM 2.5 cascade impactor was

A study of photochemical againg of ambient air using Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) chamber under the different sources and types of emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, T.; Son, J.; Kim, J.; Kim, S.; Sung, K.; Park, G.; Link, M.; Park, T.; Kim, K.; Kang, S.; Ban, J.; Kim, D. S.

2016-12-01

Recent research proposed that Secondary Aerosol (SA) is important class of predicting future climate change scenarios, health effect, and a general air quality. However, there has been lack of studies to investigate SA formation all over the world. This study tried to focus on understanding potential secondary aerosol formation and its local impact by the photochemical aging of inorganic and organic aerosols in the ambient air using the Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) chamber under the different sources and types of emissions. PAM chamber manufactured by Aerodyne make an oxidizing environment that simulates oxidation processes on timescales of 12-15 hrs in the atmosphere. Chemical compositions of ambient aerosol and aerosol that was aged in the PAM chamber were alternately measured every 2-minutes using the High Resolution-Time of Flight-Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). HR-ToF-AMS provides non-refractory aerosol mass concentrations including nitrate, sulfate, hydrocarbon-like and oxygenated organic aerosol in real time. This study includes a residence area of mixture of sources, a forest site of dominant source of biogenic VOCs, an underground parking lot of dominant vehicle emission, and laboratory experiment of vehicle emissions under different fuels and speeds using the chassis dynamometer. As a result, it was revealed that gasoline and LPG vehicle relatively made more potential SA than diesel vehicle.

Cloud forming properties of ambient aerosol in the Netherlands and resultant shortwave radiative forcing of climate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khlystov, A.

1998-01-01

This thesis discusses properties of ambient aerosols in the Netherlands which are controlling the magnitude of the local aerosol radiative forcing. Anthropogenic aerosols influence climate by changing the radiative transfer through the atmosphere via two effects, one is direct and a second

Transport and characterization of ambient biological aerosol near Laurel, MD

Science.gov (United States)

Santarpia, J. L.; Cunningham, D.; Gilberry, J.; Kim, S.; Smith, E. E.; Ratnesar-Shumate, S.; Quizon, J.

2010-09-01

Bacterial aerosol have been observed and studied in the ambient environment since the mid nineteenth century. These studies have sought to provide a better understanding of the diversity, variability and factors that control the biological aerosol population. In this study, we show comparisons between diversity of culturable bacteria and fungi, using culture and clinical biochemical tests, and 16S rRNA diversity using Affymetrix PhyloChips. Comparing the culturable fraction and surveying the total 16S rRNA of each sample provides a comprehensive look at the bacterial population studied and allows comparison with previous studies. Thirty-six hour back-trajectories of the air parcels sampled, over the two day period beginning 4 November 2008, provide information on the sources of aerosol sampled on the campus of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD. This study indicates that back-trajectory modeling of air parcels may provide insights into the observed diversity of biological aerosol.

Comparison of ambient aerosol extinction coefficients obtained from in-situ, MAX-DOAS and LIDAR measurements at Cabauw

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zieger, P.; Weingartner, E.; Henzing, J.; Moerman, M.; Leeuw, G. de; Mikkilä, J.; Ehn, M.; Petäjä, T.; Clémer, K.; Roozendael, M. van; Yilmaz, S.; Frieß, U.; Irie, H.; Wagner, T.; Shaiganfar, R.; Beirle, S.; Apituley, A.; Wilson, K.; Baltensperger, U.

2011-01-01

In the field, aerosol in-situ measurements are often performed under dry conditions (relative humidity RH<30-40%). Since ambient aerosol particles experience hygroscopic growth at enhanced RH, their microphysical and optical properties especially the aerosol light scattering are also strongly

Characterization of primary organic aerosol emissions from meat cooking, trash burning, and motor vehicles with high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometry and comparison with ambient and chamber observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, Claudia; Huffman, Alex; Cubison, Michael J; Aiken, Allison C; Docherty, Kenneth S; Kimmel, Joel R; Ulbrich, Ingrid M; Hannigan, Michael; Jimenez, Jose L

2009-04-01

Organic aerosol (OA) emissions from motor vehicles, meat-cooking and trash burning are analyzed here using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). High resolution data show that aerosols emitted by combustion engines and plastic burning are dominated by hydrocarbon-like organic compounds. Meat cooking and especially paper burning emissions contain significant fractions of oxygenated organic compounds; however, their unit-resolution mass spectral signatures are very similar to those from ambient hydrocarbon-like OA, and very different from the mass spectra of ambient secondary or oxygenated OA (OOA). Thus, primary OA from these sources is unlikelyto be a significant direct source of ambient OOA. There are significant differences in high-resolution tracer m/zs that may be useful for differentiating some of these sources. Unlike in most ambient spectra, all of these sources have low total m/z 44 and this signal is not dominated by the CO2+ ion. All sources have high m/z 57, which is low during high OOA ambient periods. Spectra from paper burning are similar to some types of biomass burning OA, with elevated m/z 60. Meat cooking aerosols also have slightly elevated m/z 60, whereas motor vehicle emissions have very low signal at this m/z.

Workplace aerosol mass concentration measurement using optical particle counters.

Science.gov (United States)

Görner, Peter; Simon, Xavier; Bémer, Denis; Lidén, Göran

2012-02-01

Direct-reading aerosol measurement usually uses the optical properties of airborne particles to detect and measure particle concentration. In the case of occupational hygiene, mass concentration measurement is often required. Two aerosol monitoring methods are based on the principle of light scattering: optical particle counting (OPC) and photometry. The former analyses the light scattered by a single particle, the latter by a cloud of particles. Both methods need calibration to transform the quantity of scattered light detected into particle concentration. Photometers are simpler to use and can be directly calibrated to measure mass concentration. However, their response varies not only with aerosol concentration but also with particle size distribution, which frequently contributes to biased measurement. Optical particle counters directly measure the particle number concentration and particle size that allows assessment of the particle mass provided the particles are spherical and of known density. An integrating algorithm is used to calculate the mass concentration of any conventional health-related aerosol fraction. The concentrations calculated thus have been compared with simultaneous measurements by conventional gravimetric sampling to check the possibility of field OPC calibration with real workplace aerosols with a view to further monitoring particle mass concentration. Aerosol concentrations were measured in the food industry using the OPC GRIMM® 1.108 and the CIP 10-Inhalable and CIP 10-Respirable (ARELCO®) aerosol samplers while meat sausages were being brushed and coated with calcium carbonate. Previously, the original OPC inlet had been adapted to sample inhalable aerosol. A mixed aerosol of calcium carbonate and fungi spores was present in the workplace. The OPC particle-size distribution and an estimated average particle density of both aerosol components were used to calculate the mass concentration. The inhalable and respirable aerosol fractions

Spectral Aerosol Extinction (SpEx): A New Instrument for In situ Ambient Aerosol Extinction Measurements Across the UV/Visible Wavelength Range

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, C. E.; Anderson, B. E.; Beyersdorf, A. J.; Corr, C. A.; Dibb, J. E.; Greenslade, M. E.; Martin, R. F.; Moore, R. H.; Scheuer, E.; Shook, M. A.;

Connection of automatic integral multichannel monitor of aerosol concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krejci, M.; Stulik, P.

1985-01-01

The instrument consists of the actual aerosol concentration monitor with two equivalent inputs, of an electropneumatic sampling selector, an aerosol pump, an electropneumatic valve, and of an exhaust device. For integral operating mode the instrument allows rapid checking and indication of exceedance of the permissible aerosol concentration limit at any sampling point. Upon exceedance of the permissible concentration limit, the device automatically switches into the multichannel cyclic measurement mode while the sampling point is identified where the aerosol concentration was increased. An emergency is displayed if the permissible limit has been exceeded. Following removal of the source of dangerous aerosol concentration, the control unit automatically switches the device into the integral measurement mode. (J.B.)

Correlation for predicting aerosol concentration in sodium spray fires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marimuthu, K.

2001-01-01

Aerosol behaviour computer codes are reported for the study of time-dependent airborne aerosol concentration in a containment. The use of available computer codes requires a thorough knowledge of the various rate processes employed to describe the aerosol behaviour. The present work describes a simple empirical equation to calculate sodium fire aerosol concentration with respect to time in a containment and is applicable to sodium spray fire conditions. Sodium spray fire aerosol concentration values obtained using this simplified approach agree reasonably well with experimental results. The empirical equation described in the present work is incorporated in the spray fire code NACOM and the code calculated values of aerosol concentration agreement with the sodium spray fire experimental results is reasonably good. (author)

ANALYSIS OF RESPIRATORY DEPOSITION OF INHALED AMBIENT AEROSOLS FOR DIFFERENT DOSE METRICS

Science.gov (United States)

ANALYSIS OF RESPIRATORY DEPOSITION OF INHALED AMBIENT AEROSOLS FOR DIFFERENT DOSE METRICS.Chong S. Kim, SC. Hu**, PA Jaques*, US EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; **IIT Research Institute, Chicago, IL; *South...

Applications of Ground-based Mobile Atmospheric Monitoring: Real-time Characterization of Source Emissions and Ambient Concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Goetz, J. Douglas

Gas and particle phase atmospheric pollution are known to impact human and environmental health as well as contribute to climate forcing. While many atmospheric pollutants are regulated or controlled in the developed world uncertainty still remains regarding the impacts from under characterized emission sources, the interaction of anthropogenic and naturally occurring pollution, and the chemical and physical evolution of emissions in the atmosphere, among many other uncertainties. Because of the complexity of atmospheric pollution many types of monitoring have been implemented in the past, but none are capable of perfectly characterizing the atmosphere and each monitoring type has known benefits and disadvantages. Ground-based mobile monitoring with fast-response in-situ instrumentation has been used in the past for a number of applications that fill data gaps not possible with other types of atmospheric monitoring. In this work, ground-based mobile monitoring was implemented to quantify emissions from under characterized emission sources using both moving and portable applications, and used in a novel way for the characterization of ambient concentrations. In the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania two mobile platforms were used to estimate emission rates from infrastructure associated with the production and transmission of natural gas using two unique methods. One campaign investigated emissions of aerosols, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), methane, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon dioxide (CO 2) from natural gas wells, well development practices, and compressor stations using tracer release ratio methods and a developed fenceline tracer release correction factor. Another campaign investigated emissions of methane from Marcellus Shale gas wells and infrastructure associated with two large national transmission pipelines using the "Point Source Gaussian" method described in the EPA OTM-33a. During both campaigns ambient concentrations

Revealing source signatures in ambient BTEX concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zalel, Amir; Yuval; Broday, David M.

2008-01-01

Management of ambient concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is essential for maintaining low ozone levels in urban areas where its formation is under a VOC-limited regime. The significant decrease in traffic-induced VOC emissions in many developed countries resulted in relatively comparable shares of traffic and non-traffic VOC emissions in urban airsheds. A key step for urban air quality management is allocating ambient VOC concentrations to their pertinent sources. This study presents an approach that can aid in identifying sources that contribute to observed BTEX concentrations in areas characterized by low BTEX concentrations, where traditional source apportionment techniques are not useful. Analysis of seasonal and diurnal variations of ambient BTEX concentrations from two monitoring stations located in distinct areas reveal the possibility to identify source categories. Specifically, the varying oxidation rates of airborne BTEX compounds are used to allocate contributions of traffic emissions and evaporative sources to observed BTEX concentrations. - BTEX sources are identified from temporal variations of ambient concentration

Chromatography related performance of the Monitor for AeRosols and GAses in ambient air (MARGA: laboratory and field-based evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Chen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Evaluation of the semi-continuous Monitor for AeRosols and GAses in ambient air (MARGA, Metrohm Applikon B.V. was conducted with an emphasis on examination of accuracy and precision associated with processing of chromatograms. Using laboratory standards and atmospheric measurements, analytical accuracy, precision and method detection limits derived using the commercial MARGA software were compared to an alternative chromatography procedure consisting of a custom Java script to reformat raw MARGA conductivity data and Chromeleon (Thermo Scientific Dionex software for peak integration. Our analysis revealed issues with accuracy and precision resulting from misidentification and misintegration of chromatograph peaks by the MARGA automated software as well as a systematic bias at low concentrations for anions. Reprocessing and calibration of raw MARGA data using the alternative chromatography method lowered method detection limits and reduced variability (precision between parallel sampler boxes. Instrument performance was further evaluated during a 1-month intensive field campaign in the fall of 2014, including analysis of diurnal patterns of gaseous and particulate water-soluble species (NH3, SO2, HNO3, NH4+, SO42− and NO3−, gas-to-particle partitioning and particle neutralization state. At ambient concentrations below  ∼  1 µg m−3, concentrations determined using the MARGA software are biased +30 and +10 % for NO3− and SO42−, respectively, compared to concentrations determined using the alternative chromatography procedure. Differences between the two methods increase at lower concentrations. We demonstrate that positively biased NO3− and SO42− measurements result in overestimation of aerosol acidity and introduce nontrivial errors to ion balances of inorganic aerosol. Though the source of the bias is uncertain, it is not corrected by the MARGA online single-point internal LiBr standard. Our results show that

Chromatography related performance of the Monitor for AeRosols and GAses in ambient air (MARGA): laboratory and field-based evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Walker, John T.; Geron, Chris

2017-10-01

Evaluation of the semi-continuous Monitor for AeRosols and GAses in ambient air (MARGA, Metrohm Applikon B.V.) was conducted with an emphasis on examination of accuracy and precision associated with processing of chromatograms. Using laboratory standards and atmospheric measurements, analytical accuracy, precision and method detection limits derived using the commercial MARGA software were compared to an alternative chromatography procedure consisting of a custom Java script to reformat raw MARGA conductivity data and Chromeleon (Thermo Scientific Dionex) software for peak integration. Our analysis revealed issues with accuracy and precision resulting from misidentification and misintegration of chromatograph peaks by the MARGA automated software as well as a systematic bias at low concentrations for anions. Reprocessing and calibration of raw MARGA data using the alternative chromatography method lowered method detection limits and reduced variability (precision) between parallel sampler boxes. Instrument performance was further evaluated during a 1-month intensive field campaign in the fall of 2014, including analysis of diurnal patterns of gaseous and particulate water-soluble species (NH3, SO2, HNO3, NH4+, SO42- and NO3-), gas-to-particle partitioning and particle neutralization state. At ambient concentrations below ˜ 1 µg m-3, concentrations determined using the MARGA software are biased +30 and +10 % for NO3- and SO42-, respectively, compared to concentrations determined using the alternative chromatography procedure. Differences between the two methods increase at lower concentrations. We demonstrate that positively biased NO3- and SO42- measurements result in overestimation of aerosol acidity and introduce nontrivial errors to ion balances of inorganic aerosol. Though the source of the bias is uncertain, it is not corrected by the MARGA online single-point internal LiBr standard. Our results show that calibration and verification of instrument accuracy

Measurement of the ambient organic aerosol volatility distribution: application during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment (FAME-2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. H. Lee

2010-12-01

Full Text Available A variable residence time thermodenuder (TD was combined with an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS to measure the volatility distribution of aged organic aerosol in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment in May of 2008 (FAME-2008. A new method for the quantification of the organic aerosol volatility distribution was developed combining measurements of all three instruments together with an aerosol dynamics model.

Challenges in the interpretation of ambient thermodenuder-AMS measurements include the potential resistances to mass transfer during particle evaporation, the effects of particle size on the evaporated mass fraction, the changes in the AMS collection efficiency and particle density as the particles evaporate partially in the TD, and finally potential losses inside the TD. Our proposed measurement and data analysis method accounts for all of these problems combining the AMS and SMPS measurements.

The AMS collection efficiency of the aerosol that passed through the TD was found to be approximately 10% lower than the collection efficiency of the aerosol that passed through the bypass. The organic aerosol measured at Finokalia is approximately 2 or more orders of magnitude less volatile than fresh laboratory-generated monoterpene (α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene under low NO_x conditions secondary organic aerosol. This low volatility is consistent with its highly oxygenated AMS mass spectrum. The results are found to be highly sensitive to the mass accommodation coefficient of the evaporating species. This analysis is based on the assumption that there were no significant reactions taking place inside the thermodenuder.

ANALYSIS OF RESPIRATORY DESPOSITION DOSE OF INHALED AMBIENT AEROSOLS FOR DIFFERENT SIZE FRACTIONS

Science.gov (United States)

ANALYSIS OF RESPIRATORY DEPOSITION DOSE OF INHALED AMBIENT AEROSOLS FOR DIFFERENT SIZE FRACTIONS. Chong S. Kim, SC. Hu**, PA Jaques*, US EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; **IIT Research Institute, Chicago, IL; *S...

Experimental verification of the attachment theory of radon progeny onto ambient aerosols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tokonami, Shinji

2000-01-01

The attachment theory of radon progeny onto ambient aerosols was experimentally verified with a cascade impactor and a graded screen array at the EML environmental chamber. Monodisperse aerosols in the size range of 70 to 500 nm were generated with Carnauba wax by means of the evaporation-condensation method. The temperature and the relative humidity in the chamber were set at 20 C and 20%, respectively, throughout the entire experiment. When the aerosols were being injected into the chamber, both the number size distribution and the activity-weighted size distribution of attached radon progeny were stable. The activity-weighted size distribution was compared with the attachment rate distribution obtained by measuring the number size distribution with the SMPS and multiplying the size-dependent attachment coefficient. There was a relatively good agreement between the two distributions.

Functional group composition of ambient and source organic aerosols determined by tandem mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dron, J.; El Haddad, I.; Temime-Roussel, B.; Wortham, H.; Marchand, N. [Univ Aix Marseille, CNRS, Lab Chim Provence, Equipe Instrumentat and React Atmospher, UMR 6264, F-13331 Marseille 3 (France); Jaffrezo, J.L. [Univ Grenoble 1, CNRS, UMR 5183, Lab Glaciol and Geophys Environm, F-38402 St Martin Dheres (France)

2010-07-01

The functional group composition of various organic aerosols (OA) is investigated using a recently developed analytical approach based on atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (APCIMS/MS). The determinations of three functional groups contents are performed quantitatively by neutral loss (carboxylic and carbonyl groups, R-COOH and R-CO-R' respectively) and precursor ion (nitro groups, R-NO{sub 2}) scanning modes of a tandem mass spectrometer. Major organic aerosol sources are studied: vehicular emission and wood combustion for primary aerosol sources; and a secondary organic aerosol (SOA) produced through photooxidation of o-xylene. The results reveal significant differences in the functional group contents of these source aerosols. The laboratory generated SOA is dominated by carbonyls while carboxylics are preponderate in the wood combustion particles. On the other hand, vehicular emissions are characterised by a strong nitro content. The total amount of the three functional groups accounts for 1.7% (vehicular) to 13.5% (o-xylene photooxidation) of the organic carbon. Diagnostic functional group ratios are then used to tentatively discriminate sources of particles collected in an urban background environment located in an Alpine valley (Chamonix, France) during a strong winter pollution event. The three functional groups under study account for a total functionalization rate of 2.2 to 3.8% of the organic carbon in this ambient aerosol, which is also dominated by carboxylic moieties. In this particular case study of a deep alpine valley during winter, we show that the nitro- and carbonyl-to-carboxylic diagnostic ratios can be a useful tool to discriminate sources. In these conditions, the total OA concentrations are highly dominated by wood combustion OA. This result is confirmed by an organic markers source apportionment approach which assess a wood burning organic carbon contribution of about 60%. Finally, examples of functional

Functional group composition of ambient and source organic aerosols determined by tandem mass spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Dron

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The functional group composition of various organic aerosols (OA is investigated using a recently developed analytical approach based on atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (APCI-MS/MS. The determinations of three functional groups contents are performed quantitatively by neutral loss (carboxylic and carbonyl groups, R-COOH and R-CO-R´ respectively and precursor ion (nitro groups, R-NO₂ scanning modes of a tandem mass spectrometer. Major organic aerosol sources are studied: vehicular emission and wood combustion for primary aerosol sources; and a secondary organic aerosol (SOA produced through photooxidation of o-xylene. The results reveal significant differences in the functional group contents of these source aerosols. The laboratory generated SOA is dominated by carbonyls while carboxylics are preponderate in the wood combustion particles. On the other hand, vehicular emissions are characterised by a strong nitro content. The total amount of the three functional groups accounts for 1.7% (vehicular to 13.5% (o-xylene photooxidation of the organic carbon. Diagnostic functional group ratios are then used to tentatively discriminate sources of particles collected in an urban background environment located in an Alpine valley (Chamonix, France during a strong winter pollution event. The three functional groups under study account for a total functionalisation rate of 2.2 to 3.8% of the organic carbon in this ambient aerosol, which is also dominated by carboxylic moieties. In this particular case study of a deep alpine valley during winter, we show that the nitro- and carbonyl-to-carboxylic diagnostic ratios can be a useful tool to discriminate sources. In these conditions, the total OA concentrations are highly dominated by wood combustion OA. This result is confirmed by an organic markers source apportionment approach which assess a wood burning organic carbon contribution of about 60

Quantitative estimates of the volatility of ambient organic aerosol

Science.gov (United States)

Cappa, C. D.; Jimenez, J. L.

2010-06-01

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

Particle size distribution of the radon progeny and ambient aerosols in the Underground Tourist Route "Liczyrzepa" Mine in Kowary Adit

Science.gov (United States)

Wołoszczuk, Katarzyna; Skubacz, Krystian

2018-01-01

Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection, in cooperation with Central Mining Institute performed measurements of radon concentration in air, potential alpha energy concentration (PAEC), particle size distribution of the radon progeny and ambient aerosols in the Underground Tourist-Educational Route "Liczyrzepa" Mine in Kowary Adit. A research study was developed to investigate the appropriate dose conversion factors for short-lived radon progeny. The particle size distribution of radon progeny was determined using Radon Progeny Particle Size Spectrometer (RPPSS). The device allows to receive the distribution of PAEC in the particle size range from 0.6 nm to 2494 nm, based on their activity measured on 8 stages composed of impaction plates or diffusion screens. The measurements of the ambient airborne particle size distribution were performed in the range from a few nanometres to about 20 micrometres using Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) spectrometer and the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer Spectrometer (SMPS).

Influence of the ambient humidity on the concentration of natural deposition-mode ice-nucleating particles

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M. L. López

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study reports measurements of deposition-mode ice-nucleating particle (INP concentrations at ground level during the period July–December 2014 in Córdoba, Argentina. Ambient air was sampled into a cloud chamber where the INP concentration was measured at a temperature of −25 °C and a 15 % supersaturation over ice. Measurements were performed on days with different thermodynamic conditions, including rainy days. The effect of the relative humidity at ground level (RHamb on the INP concentration was analyzed. The number of INPs activated varied from 1 L−1 at RHamb of 25 % to 30 L−1 at RHamb of 90 %. In general, a linear trend between the INP concentration and the RHamb was found, suggesting that this variability must be related to the effectiveness of the aerosols acting as INPs. From the backward trajectories analysis, it was found that the link between INP concentration and RHamb is independent of the origin of the air masses. The role of biological INPs and nucleation occurring in pores and cavities was discussed as a possible mechanism to explain the increase of the INP concentration during high ambient relative humidity events. This work provides valuable measurements of deposition-mode INP concentrations from the Southern Hemisphere where INP data are sparse so far.

In situ secondary organic aerosol formation from ambient pine forest air using an oxidation flow reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Palm, Brett B.; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Ortega, Amber M.; Day, Douglas A.; Kaser, Lisa; Jud, Werner; Karl, Thomas; Hansel, Armin; Hunter, James F.; Cross, Eben S.; Kroll, Jesse H.; Peng, Zhe; Brune, William H.; Jimenez, Jose L.

2016-03-01

An oxidation flow reactor (OFR) is a vessel inside which the concentration of a chosen oxidant can be increased for the purpose of studying SOA formation and aging by that oxidant. During the BEACHON-RoMBAS (Bio-hydro-atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics & Nitrogen-Rocky Mountain Biogenic Aerosol Study) field campaign, ambient pine forest air was oxidized by OH radicals in an OFR to measure the amount of SOA that could be formed from the real mix of ambient SOA precursor gases, and how that amount changed with time as precursors changed. High OH concentrations and short residence times allowed for semicontinuous cycling through a large range of OH exposures ranging from hours to weeks of equivalent (eq.) atmospheric aging. A simple model is derived and used to account for the relative timescales of condensation of low-volatility organic compounds (LVOCs) onto particles; condensational loss to the walls; and further reaction to produce volatile, non-condensing fragmentation products. More SOA production was observed in the OFR at nighttime (average 3 µg m-3 when LVOC fate corrected) compared to daytime (average 0.9 µg m-3 when LVOC fate corrected), with maximum formation observed at 0.4-1.5 eq. days of photochemical aging. SOA formation followed a similar diurnal pattern to monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and toluene+p-cymene concentrations, including a substantial increase just after sunrise at 07:00 local time. Higher photochemical aging (> 10 eq. days) led to a decrease in new SOA formation and a loss of preexisting OA due to heterogeneous oxidation followed by fragmentation and volatilization. When comparing two different commonly used methods of OH production in OFRs (OFR185 and OFR254-70), similar amounts of SOA formation were observed. We recommend the OFR185 mode for future forest studies. Concurrent gas-phase measurements of air after OH oxidation illustrate the decay of primary VOCs, production of small oxidized organic

In situ secondary organic aerosol formation from ambient pine forest air using an oxidation flow reactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. B. Palm

2016-03-01

Full Text Available An oxidation flow reactor (OFR is a vessel inside which the concentration of a chosen oxidant can be increased for the purpose of studying SOA formation and aging by that oxidant. During the BEACHON-RoMBAS (Bio-hydro-atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics & Nitrogen–Rocky Mountain Biogenic Aerosol Study field campaign, ambient pine forest air was oxidized by OH radicals in an OFR to measure the amount of SOA that could be formed from the real mix of ambient SOA precursor gases, and how that amount changed with time as precursors changed. High OH concentrations and short residence times allowed for semicontinuous cycling through a large range of OH exposures ranging from hours to weeks of equivalent (eq. atmospheric aging. A simple model is derived and used to account for the relative timescales of condensation of low-volatility organic compounds (LVOCs onto particles; condensational loss to the walls; and further reaction to produce volatile, non-condensing fragmentation products. More SOA production was observed in the OFR at nighttime (average 3 µg m−3 when LVOC fate corrected compared to daytime (average 0.9 µg m−3 when LVOC fate corrected, with maximum formation observed at 0.4–1.5 eq. days of photochemical aging. SOA formation followed a similar diurnal pattern to monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and toluene+p-cymene concentrations, including a substantial increase just after sunrise at 07:00 local time. Higher photochemical aging (> 10 eq. days led to a decrease in new SOA formation and a loss of preexisting OA due to heterogeneous oxidation followed by fragmentation and volatilization. When comparing two different commonly used methods of OH production in OFRs (OFR185 and OFR254-70, similar amounts of SOA formation were observed. We recommend the OFR185 mode for future forest studies. Concurrent gas-phase measurements of air after OH oxidation illustrate the decay of primary VOCs, production

Real-time measurements of secondary organic aerosol formation and aging from ambient air in an oxidation flow reactor in the Los Angeles area

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Amber M.; Hayes, Patrick L.; Peng, Zhe; Palm, Brett B.; Hu, Weiwei; Day, Douglas A.; Li, Rui; Cubison, Michael J.; Brune, William H.; Graus, Martin; Warneke, Carsten; Gilman, Jessica B.; Kuster, William C.; de Gouw, Joost; Gutiérrez-Montes, Cándido; Jimenez, Jose L.

2016-06-01

Field studies in polluted areas over the last decade have observed large formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) that is often poorly captured by models. The study of SOA formation using ambient data is often confounded by the effects of advection, vertical mixing, emissions, and variable degrees of photochemical aging. An oxidation flow reactor (OFR) was deployed to study SOA formation in real-time during the California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex) campaign in Pasadena, CA, in 2010. A high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) alternated sampling ambient and reactor-aged air. The reactor produced OH concentrations up to 4 orders of magnitude higher than in ambient air. OH radical concentration was continuously stepped, achieving equivalent atmospheric aging of 0.8 days-6.4 weeks in 3 min of processing every 2 h. Enhancement of organic aerosol (OA) from aging showed a maximum net SOA production between 0.8-6 days of aging with net OA mass loss beyond 2 weeks. Reactor SOA mass peaked at night, in the absence of ambient photochemistry and correlated with trimethylbenzene concentrations. Reactor SOA formation was inversely correlated with ambient SOA and Ox, which along with the short-lived volatile organic compound correlation, indicates the importance of very reactive (τOH ˜ 0.3 day) SOA precursors (most likely semivolatile and intermediate volatility species, S/IVOCs) in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Evolution of the elemental composition in the reactor was similar to trends observed in the atmosphere (O : C vs. H : C slope ˜ -0.65). Oxidation state of carbon (OSc) in reactor SOA increased steeply with age and remained elevated (OSC ˜ 2) at the highest photochemical ages probed. The ratio of OA in the reactor output to excess CO (ΔCO, ambient CO above regional background) vs. photochemical age is similar to previous studies at low to moderate ages and also extends to

Real-time measurements of secondary organic aerosol formation and aging from ambient air in an oxidation flow reactor in the Los Angeles area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Ortega

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Field studies in polluted areas over the last decade have observed large formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA that is often poorly captured by models. The study of SOA formation using ambient data is often confounded by the effects of advection, vertical mixing, emissions, and variable degrees of photochemical aging. An oxidation flow reactor (OFR was deployed to study SOA formation in real-time during the California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex campaign in Pasadena, CA, in 2010. A high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS alternated sampling ambient and reactor-aged air. The reactor produced OH concentrations up to 4 orders of magnitude higher than in ambient air. OH radical concentration was continuously stepped, achieving equivalent atmospheric aging of 0.8 days–6.4 weeks in 3 min of processing every 2 h. Enhancement of organic aerosol (OA from aging showed a maximum net SOA production between 0.8–6 days of aging with net OA mass loss beyond 2 weeks. Reactor SOA mass peaked at night, in the absence of ambient photochemistry and correlated with trimethylbenzene concentrations. Reactor SOA formation was inversely correlated with ambient SOA and Ox, which along with the short-lived volatile organic compound correlation, indicates the importance of very reactive (τOH  ∼  0.3 day SOA precursors (most likely semivolatile and intermediate volatility species, S/IVOCs in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Evolution of the elemental composition in the reactor was similar to trends observed in the atmosphere (O : C vs. H : C slope  ∼  −0.65. Oxidation state of carbon (OSc in reactor SOA increased steeply with age and remained elevated (OSC  ∼  2 at the highest photochemical ages probed. The ratio of OA in the reactor output to excess CO (ΔCO, ambient CO above regional background vs. photochemical age is similar to

Intercomparison of aerosol instruments: number concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knutson, E.O.; Sinclair, D.; Tu, K.W.; Hinchliffe, L.; Franklin, H.

1982-05-01

An intercomparison of aerosol instruments conducted February 23-27, 1981, at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) focused on five instruments: the Pollak and TSI condensation nucleus counters; the Active Scattering Aerosol Spectrometer (ASAS-X); and two aerosol electrometers. Test aerosols of sodium chloride and ammonium fluorescein generated by nebulization/electrostatic classification were used to obtain 195 lines of comparison data. Concentrations measured by the ASAS-X and the TSI aerosol electrometer averaged respectively 1.388 and 1.581 times that measured by the Pollak. These ratios were very stable during the week and there was little effect of particle size or material. Most other comparisons were equally stable. However, a review of past work at EML and elsewhere led to the disturbing conclusion that these ratios may change from year to year, or from season to season. A filter sample was taken from microscopy, concurrent with readings from the ASAS-X and the TSI condensation nucleus counters. In this sample, the two instruments differed by 20%. Within its 20% uncertainty, the filter result matched both the TSI and ASAS-X readings

Factors influencing the outdoor concentration of carbonaceous aerosols at urban schools in Brisbane, Australia: Implications for children's exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crilley, L.R.; Ayoko, G.A.; Mazaheri, M.; Morawska, L.

2016-01-01

This comprehensive study aimed to determine the sources and driving factors of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations in ambient PM 2.5 in urban schools. Sampling was conducted outdoors at 25 schools in the Brisbane Metropolitan Area, Australia. Concentrations of primary and secondary OC were quantified using the EC tracer method, with secondary OC accounting for an average of 60%. Principal component analysis distinguished the contributing sources above the background and identified groups of schools with differing levels of primary and secondary carbonaceous aerosols. Overall, the results showed that vehicle emissions, local weather conditions and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) were the key factors influencing concentrations of carbonaceous component of PM 2.5 at these schools. These results provide insights into children's exposure to vehicle emissions and SOA at such urban schools. - Highlights: • We aimed to find the contributing sources to children's exposure at school. • Measured outdoor organic carbon and elemental carbon at 25 urban schools. • Schools varied in exposure to primary and secondary sources. • Secondary organic carbon the largest component of carbonaceous aerosols. • Vehicle emission levels at schools are primarily dependent on local traffic counts. - Key factors influencing concentrations of carbonaceous component of PM 2.5 at urban schools were found to be vehicle emissions, secondary organic aerosols and local weather conditions.

Environmental pollution: influence on the operation of a sensor of radioactive aerosols; Contaminacion ambiental: influencia en el funcionamiento de un captador de aerosoles radiactivos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duarte Rodriguez, X.; Hernandez Armas, J.; Martin Delgado, J.; Rodriguez Perestelo, N.; Perez Lopez, M.; Catalan Acosta, A.; Fernandez de Aldecoa, J. c.

2013-07-01

The content of radioactive aerosols in the air is an important component to estimate the ambient radiation dose. In the laboratories of environmental radioactivity, measurements of radionuclides in air they are performed using sensors. The flow picked up by the equipment can be changed if the degree of air pollution changes for some reason. It handles this study and the population doses are estimated due to inhalation of ambient air. (Author)

Unexpectedly high ultrafine aerosol concentrations above East Antarctic sea-ice

Science.gov (United States)

Humphries, R. S.; Klekociuk, A. R.; Schofield, R.; Keywood, M.; Ward, J.; Wilson, S. R.

2015-10-01

The effect of aerosols on clouds and their radiative properties is one of the largest uncertainties in our understanding of radiative forcing. A recent study has concluded that better characterisation of pristine, natural aerosol processes leads to the largest reduction in these uncertainties. Antarctica, being far from anthropogenic activities, is an ideal location for the study of natural aerosol processes. Aerosol measurements in Antarctica are often limited to boundary layer air-masses at spatially sparse coastal and continental research stations, with only a handful of studies in the sea ice region. In this paper, the first observational study of sub-micron aerosols in the East Antarctic sea ice region is presented. Measurements were conducted aboard the ice-breaker Aurora Australis in spring 2012 and found that boundary layer condensation nuclei (CN3) concentrations exhibited a five-fold increase moving across the Polar Front, with mean Polar Cell concentrations of 1130 cm-3 - higher than any observed elsewhere in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region. The absence of evidence for aerosol growth suggested that nucleation was unlikely to be local. Air parcel trajectories indicated significant influence from the free troposphere above the Antarctic continent, implicating this as the likely nucleation region for surface aerosol, a similar conclusion to previous Antarctic aerosol studies. The highest aerosol concentrations were found to correlate with low pressure systems, suggesting that the passage of cyclones provided an accelerated pathway, delivering air-masses quickly from the free-troposphere to the surface. After descent from the Antarctic free troposphere, trajectories suggest that sea ice boundary layer air-masses travelled equator-ward into the low albedo Southern Ocean region, transporting with them emissions and these aerosol nuclei where, after growth, may potentially impact on the region's radiative balance. The high aerosol concentrations and

Carbonaceous aerosols from prescribed burning of a boreal forest ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Mazurek, Monica A.; Cofer, Wesley R., III; Levine, Joel S.

1991-01-01

During the boreal forest burn studied, the ambient concentrations for the particle carbon smoke aerosol are highest for the full-fire burn conditions and vary significantly throughout the burn. Collection strategies must accordingly define ranges in the smoke aerosol concentrations produced. While the highest elemental C concentrations are observed during full-fire conditions, the great majority of smoke aerosol particles are in the form of organic C particles irrespective of fire temperature. The formation of organic C light-scattering particles was a significant process in the burn studied.

Unexpectedly high ultrafine aerosol concentrations above East Antarctic sea ice

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R. S. Humphries

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Better characterisation of aerosol processes in pristine, natural environments, such as Antarctica, have recently been shown to lead to the largest reduction in uncertainties in our understanding of radiative forcing. Our understanding of aerosols in the Antarctic region is currently based on measurements that are often limited to boundary layer air masses at spatially sparse coastal and continental research stations, with only a handful of studies in the vast sea-ice region. In this paper, the first observational study of sub-micron aerosols in the East Antarctic sea ice region is presented. Measurements were conducted aboard the icebreaker Aurora Australis in spring 2012 and found that boundary layer condensation nuclei (CN3 concentrations exhibited a five-fold increase moving across the polar front, with mean polar cell concentrations of 1130 cm−3 – higher than any observed elsewhere in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region. The absence of evidence for aerosol growth suggested that nucleation was unlikely to be local. Air parcel trajectories indicated significant influence from the free troposphere above the Antarctic continent, implicating this as the likely nucleation region for surface aerosol, a similar conclusion to previous Antarctic aerosol studies. The highest aerosol concentrations were found to correlate with low-pressure systems, suggesting that the passage of cyclones provided an accelerated pathway, delivering air masses quickly from the free troposphere to the surface. After descent from the Antarctic free troposphere, trajectories suggest that sea-ice boundary layer air masses travelled equatorward into the low-albedo Southern Ocean region, transporting with them emissions and these aerosol nuclei which, after growth, may potentially impact on the region's radiative balance. The high aerosol concentrations and their transport pathways described here, could help reduce the discrepancy currently present between

Unexpectedly high ultrafine aerosol concentrations above East Antarctic sea ice

Science.gov (United States)

Humphries, R. S.; Klekociuk, A. R.; Schofield, R.; Keywood, M.; Ward, J.; Wilson, S. R.

2016-02-01

Better characterisation of aerosol processes in pristine, natural environments, such as Antarctica, have recently been shown to lead to the largest reduction in uncertainties in our understanding of radiative forcing. Our understanding of aerosols in the Antarctic region is currently based on measurements that are often limited to boundary layer air masses at spatially sparse coastal and continental research stations, with only a handful of studies in the vast sea-ice region. In this paper, the first observational study of sub-micron aerosols in the East Antarctic sea ice region is presented. Measurements were conducted aboard the icebreaker Aurora Australis in spring 2012 and found that boundary layer condensation nuclei (CN3) concentrations exhibited a five-fold increase moving across the polar front, with mean polar cell concentrations of 1130 cm-3 - higher than any observed elsewhere in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region. The absence of evidence for aerosol growth suggested that nucleation was unlikely to be local. Air parcel trajectories indicated significant influence from the free troposphere above the Antarctic continent, implicating this as the likely nucleation region for surface aerosol, a similar conclusion to previous Antarctic aerosol studies. The highest aerosol concentrations were found to correlate with low-pressure systems, suggesting that the passage of cyclones provided an accelerated pathway, delivering air masses quickly from the free troposphere to the surface. After descent from the Antarctic free troposphere, trajectories suggest that sea-ice boundary layer air masses travelled equatorward into the low-albedo Southern Ocean region, transporting with them emissions and these aerosol nuclei which, after growth, may potentially impact on the region's radiative balance. The high aerosol concentrations and their transport pathways described here, could help reduce the discrepancy currently present between simulations and observations of

Intercomparison and closure calculations using measurements of aerosol species and optical properties during the Yosemite Aerosol Characterization Study

Science.gov (United States)

Malm, William C.; Day, Derek E.; Carrico, Christian; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.; Collett, Jeffrey L.; McMeeking, Gavin; Lee, Taehyoung; Carrillo, Jacqueline; Schichtel, Bret

2005-07-01

Physical and optical properties of inorganic aerosols have been extensively studied, but less is known about carbonaceous aerosols, especially as they relate to the non-urban settings such as our nation's national parks and wilderness areas. Therefore an aerosol characterization study was conceived and implemented at one national park that is highly impacted by carbonaceous aerosols, Yosemite. The primary objective of the study was to characterize the physical, chemical, and optical properties of a carbon-dominated aerosol, including the ratio of total organic matter weight to organic carbon, organic mass scattering efficiencies, and the hygroscopic characteristics of a carbon-laden ambient aerosol, while a secondary objective was to evaluate a variety of semi-continuous monitoring systems. Inorganic ions were characterized using 24-hour samples that were collected using the URG and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) monitoring systems, the micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) cascade impactor, as well as the semi-continuous particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) technology. Likewise, carbonaceous material was collected over 24-hour periods using IMPROVE technology along with the thermal optical reflectance (TOR) analysis, while semi-continuous total carbon concentrations were measured using the Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P) instrument. Dry aerosol number size distributions were measured using a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and optical particle counter, scattering coefficients at near-ambient conditions were measured with nephelometers fitted with PM10 and PM2.5 inlets, and "dry" PM2.5 scattering was measured after passing ambient air through Perma Pure Nafion® dryers. In general, the 24-hour "bulk" measurements of various aerosol species compared more favorably with each other than with the semi-continuous data. Semi-continuous sulfate measurements correlated well with the 24-hour measurements, but were biased low by

Chemical characteristics of ambient aerosols contributed by cooking process at Noorpur village near Delhi (India)

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sudha; Kumar, Bablu; Gupta, Gyan Prakash; Kulshrestha, U. C.

2013-05-01

Combustion of fuels such as wood, crop residue and dung cakes etc. is one of the major sources of air pollution in developing countries. These fuels are still used commonly for cooking purpose in rural India. This study investigates the chemical composition of the ambient aerosols during cooking hours at a village called Noorpur (28.470 N, 77.030 E) which lies near Delhi city. Aerosol sampling was carried out during August 2011-May 2012 by using handy sampler (Envirotech model APM 821) installed at the terrace of a building (˜6m). The samples were collected on 8 hourly basis using Teflon filters. The water extract of these filters was analyzed for major anions (F-, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-) and major cations (Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+ Mg2+) by ion chromatography (Metrohm 883 Basic IC Plus). Results highlighted that cooking process contributed significant amount of SO42- and K+ṡ. Biomass burning is considered as a potential source of K+ in air. The high concentration of SO42- might be due to oxidation of SO2 contributed by the combustion of dung cakes. Further, the detailed results will be discussed during the conference.

Particle size distribution of the radon progeny and ambient aerosols in the Underground Tourist Route “Liczyrzepa” Mine in Kowary Adit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wołoszczuk Katarzyna

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection, in cooperation with Central Mining Institute performed measurements of radon concentration in air, potential alpha energy concentration (PAEC, particle size distribution of the radon progeny and ambient aerosols in the Underground Tourist-Educational Route “Liczyrzepa” Mine in Kowary Adit. A research study was developed to investigate the appropriate dose conversion factors for short-lived radon progeny. The particle size distribution of radon progeny was determined using Radon Progeny Particle Size Spectrometer (RPPSS. The device allows to receive the distribution of PAEC in the particle size range from 0.6 nm to 2494 nm, based on their activity measured on 8 stages composed of impaction plates or diffusion screens. The measurements of the ambient airborne particle size distribution were performed in the range from a few nanometres to about 20 micrometres using Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS spectrometer and the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer Spectrometer (SMPS.

Development of a 10 Hz measurement system for atmospheric aerosol concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouarouri, Assia

2014-01-01

The goal is to develop an aerosol charger based on a corona discharge for atmospheric concentration measurements (10 3 -10 5 cm -3 ) within a response time of 100 ms. Two ion sources, point-to-hole and wire-to-slit have been characterized. The increase of the ion flow in the post-discharge by EHD ion confinement in both the discharge gap and the hole has been shown. At first, using an experimental survey driven in two mixing configurations, concentric and face-to-face, we have confirmed the aerosol diffusion charging law which depends on aerosol diameter and N i .t product, with N i , the ions concentration and t, the charging time. Thus, the originality of this charger relies on the very high heterogeneity of unipolar ion densities (N i 0 ≥10 9 cm -3 ) required to compensate the charging time of 50 ms. In these conditions, we have shown that aerosol diameter and the charging dynamic (which depends also on the diameter) control the aerosol trajectory. The chargers have, next, been compared in different operating conditions, mainly in terms of the maximal charging and the minimal losses. In the chosen charger (point-to-hole ion source and concentric mixing), the relations charge/mobility and losses according to diameter have been characterized. We have also shown the linearity of the charged particles current with the aerosol concentration which allows the current-concentration data inversion. The preliminary measurement system composed by the charger, the separator and the particle current measurements, satisfies the objectives of the study in terms of the concentration detection limit (10 3 cm -3 ) and the response time (100 ms). We have thus shown the feasibility of an atmospheric aerosol concentration measurement system at 10 Hz using a corona discharge charger provided that the separation power is improved. Furthermore, knowing that aerosol losses are negligible and the lower limit of the partial charging, the developed charger is adaptable with other

Physicochemical characterization of Capstone depleted uranium aerosols I: uranium concentration in aerosols as a function of time and particle size.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkhurst, Mary Ann; Cheng, Yung Sung; Kenoyer, Judson L; Traub, Richard J

2009-03-01

During the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study, aerosols containing DU were produced inside unventilated armored vehicles (i.e., Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles) by perforation with large-caliber DU penetrators. These aerosols were collected and characterized, and the data were subsequently used to assess human health risks to personnel exposed to DU aerosols. The DU content of each aerosol sample was first quantified by radioanalytical methods, and selected samples, primarily those from the cyclone separator grit chambers, were analyzed radiochemically. Deposition occurred inside the vehicles as particles settled on interior surfaces. Settling rates of uranium from the aerosols were evaluated using filter cassette samples that collected aerosol as total mass over eight sequential time intervals. A moving filter was used to collect aerosol samples over time, particularly within the first minute after a shot. The results demonstrate that the peak uranium concentration in the aerosol occurred in the first 10 s after perforation, and the concentration decreased in the Abrams tank shots to about 50% within 1 min and to less than 2% after 30 min. The initial and maximum uranium concentrations were lower in the Bradley vehicle than those observed in the Abrams tank, and the concentration levels decreased more slowly. Uranium mass concentrations in the aerosols as a function of particle size were evaluated using samples collected in a cyclone sampler, which collected aerosol continuously for 2 h after perforation. The percentages of uranium mass in the cyclone separator stages ranged from 38 to 72% for the Abrams tank with conventional armor. In most cases, it varied with particle size, typically with less uranium associated with the smaller particle sizes. Neither the Abrams tank with DU armor nor the Bradley vehicle results were specifically correlated with particle size and can best be represented by their average uranium mass concentrations of 65

Quantitative estimates of the volatility of ambient organic aerosol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. D. Cappa

2010-06-01

Full Text Available 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 (ΔH_vap. 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 ΔH_vap assumptions are considered. The sensitivity of the total OA mass to dilution and ambient changes in temperature has been assessed for the various ΔH_vap assumptions. The temperature sensitivity is relatively independent of the particular ΔH_vap assumptions whereas dilution sensitivity is found to be greatest for the low (ΔH_vap = 50 kJ/mol and lowest for the high (ΔH_vap = 150 kJ/mol assumptions. This difference arises from the high ΔH_vap assumptions yielding volatility distributions with a greater fraction of non-volatile material than the low ΔH_vap 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

2011 NATA - Risks and Annual Ambient Concentrations

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This dataset includes the modeled annual ambient concentrations and risks at the census tract level for the 2011 National Air Toxics Assessment. All concentrations...

MCS precipitation and downburst intensity response to increased aerosol concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Clavner, M.; Cotton, W. R.; van den Heever, S. C.

2015-12-01

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are important contributors to rainfall in the High Plains of the United States as well as producers of severe weather such as hail, tornados and straight-line wind events known as derechos. Past studies have shown that changes in aerosol concentrations serving as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) alter the MCS hydrometeor characteristics which in turn modify precipitation yield, downdraft velocity, cold-pool strength, storm propagation and the potential for severe weather to occur. In this study, the sensitivity of MCS precipitation characteristics and convective downburst velocities associated with a derecho to changes in CCN concentrations were examined by simulating a case study using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). The case study of the 8 May 2009 "Super-Derecho" MCS was chosen since it produced a swath of widespread wind damage in association with an embedded large-scale bow echo, over a broad region from the High Plains of western Kansas to the foothills of the Appalachians. The sensitivity of the storm to changes in CCN concentrations was examined by conducting a set of three simulations which differed in the initial aerosol concentration based on output from the 3D chemical transport model, GEOS-Chem. Results from this study indicate that while increasing CCN concentrations led to an increase in precipitation rates, the changes to the derecho strength were not linear. A moderate increase in aerosol concentration reduced the derecho strength, while the simulation with the highest aerosol concentrations increased the derecho intensity. These changes are attributed to the impact of enhanced CCN concentration on the production of convective downbursts. An analysis of aerosol loading impacts on these MCS features will be presented.

a Study of the Origin of Atmospheric Organic Aerosols

Science.gov (United States)

Hildemann, Lynn Mary

1990-01-01

predictions and ambient concentrations that could be due to atmospheric chemical reaction are discussed. An upper limit on the amount of secondary organic aerosol present is estimated based on the difference between the acidic organic aerosol present in ambient samples versus that due to primary emissions as computed by the model. Finally, several hypotheses concerning the origin of the organic aerosol are proposed.

Enhancement of PM2.5 Concentrations by Aerosol-Meteorology Interactions Over China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xin; Zhang, Qiang; Hong, Chaopeng; Zheng, Yixuan; Geng, Guannan; Tong, Dan; Zhang, Yuxuan; Zhang, Xiaoye

2018-01-01

Aerosol-meteorology interactions can change surface aerosol concentrations via different mechanisms such as altering radiation budget or cloud microphysics. However, few studies investigated the impacts of different mechanisms on temporal and spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentrations over China. Here we used the fully coupled Weather Research and Forecasting model with online chemistry (WRF-Chem) to quantify the enhancement of PM2.5 concentrations by aerosol-meteorology feedback in China in 2014 for different seasons and separate the relative impacts of aerosol radiation interactions (ARIs) and aerosol-cloud interactions (ACIs). We found that ARIs and ACIs could increase population-weighted annual mean PM2.5 concentration over China by 4.0 μg/m3 and 1.6 μg/m3, respectively. We found that ARIs play a dominant role in aerosol-meteorology interactions in winter, while the enhancement of PM2.5 concentration by ARIs and ACIs is comparable in other three seasons. ARIs reduced the wintertime monthly mean wind speed and planetary boundary layer (PBL) height by up to 0.1 m/s and 160 m, respectively, but increased the relative humidity by up to 4%, leading to accumulation of pollutants within PBL. Also, ARIs reduced dry deposition velocity of aerosols by up to 20%, resulting in an increase in PM2.5 lifetime and concentrations. ARIs can increase wintertime monthly mean surface PM2.5 concentration by a maximum of 30 μg/m3 in Sichuan Basin. ACIs can also increase PM2.5 concentration with more significant impacts in wet seasons via reduced wet scavenging and enhanced in-cloud chemistry. Dominant processes in PM2.5 enhancement are also clarified in different seasons. Results show that physical process is more important than chemical processes in winter in ARIs, while chemical process of secondary inorganic aerosols production may be crucial in wet seasons via ACIs.

Semi-quantitative characterisation of ambient ultrafine aerosols resulting from emissions of coal fired power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinkley, J.T.; Bridgman, H.A.; Buhre, B.J.P.; Gupta, R.P.; Nelson, P.F.; Wall, T.F.

2008-01-01

Emissions from coal fired power stations are known to be a significant anthropogenic source of fine atmospheric particles, both through direct primary emissions and secondary formation of sulfate and nitrate from emissions of gaseous precursors. However, there is relatively little information available in the literature regarding the contribution emissions make to the ambient aerosol, particularly in the ultrafine size range. In this study, the contribution of emissions to particles smaller than 0.3 μm in the ambient aerosol was examined at a sampling site 7 km from two large Australian coal fired power stations equipped with fabric filters. A novel approach was employed using conditional sampling based on sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) as an indicator species, and a relatively new sampler, the TSI Nanometer Aerosol Sampler. Samples were collected on transmission electron microscope (TEM) grids and examined using a combination of TEM imaging and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis for qualitative chemical analysis. The ultrafine aerosol in low SO 2 conditions was dominated by diesel soot from vehicle emissions, while significant quantities of particles, which were unstable under the electron beam, were observed in the high SO 2 samples. The behaviour of these particles was consistent with literature accounts of sulfate and nitrate species, believed to have been derived from precursor emissions from the power stations. A significant carbon peak was noted in the residues from the evaporated particles, suggesting that some secondary organic aerosol formation may also have been catalysed by these acid seed particles. No primary particulate material was observed in the minus 0.3 μm fraction. The results of this study indicate the contribution of species more commonly associated with gas to particle conversion may be more significant than expected, even close to source

Ambient air quality of karachi city as reflected by atmospheric particulate matter (PM/sub 10/) concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashmi, D.R.; Shareef, A.

2016-01-01

The present study examines the variation of ambient aerosol (PM/sub 10/) concentrations in Karachi, city. Samples were collected from ten different locations, representative of urban background, residential, traffic and industrial areas from 2007 to 2011. At each location, PM/sub 10/) was measured continuously from 08:00 am to 06:00 pm at local time. The maximum 10 h average particulate matter (PM/sub 10/) mass concentrations were found at Tibet Centre (440.1 mg/m/sup 3/) and minimum at PCSIR Campus (21.7 mg/m/sup 3/) during 2008. A rising trend during 2008 may be due to the civil works for bridges and extension of roads at different locations in Karachi. The results also suggest that urban traffic and industrial areas appeared to have higher PM/sub 10/) concentration than residential and background areas. (author)

The Effect of Aerosol Hygroscopicity and Volatility on Aerosol Optical Properties During Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study

Science.gov (United States)

Khlystov, A.; Grieshop, A. P.; Saha, P.; Subramanian, R.

2014-12-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from biogenic sources can influence optical properties of ambient aerosol by altering its hygroscopicity and contributing to light absorption directly via formation of brown carbon and indirectly by enhancing light absorption by black carbon ("lensing effect"). The magnitude of these effects remains highly uncertain. A set of state-of-the-art instruments was deployed at the SEARCH site near Centerville, AL during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) campaign in summer 2013 to measure the effect of relative humidity and temperature on aerosol size distribution, composition and optical properties. Light scattering and absorption by temperature- and humidity-conditioned aerosols was measured using three photo-acoustic extinctiometers (PAX) at three wavelengths (405 nm, 532 nm, and 870 nm). The sample-conditioning system provided measurements at ambient RH, 10%RH ("dry"), 85%RH ("wet"), and 200 C ("TD"). In parallel to these measurements, a long residence time temperature-stepping thermodenuder (TD) and a variable residence time constant temperature TD in combination with three SMPS systems and an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) were used to assess aerosol volatility and kinetics of aerosol evaporation. We will present results of the on-going analysis of the collected data set. We will show that both temperature and relative humidity have a strong effect on aerosol optical properties. SOA appears to increase aerosol light absorption by about 10%. TD measurements suggest that aerosol equilibrated fairly quickly, within 2 s. Evaporation varied substantially with ambient aerosol loading and composition and meteorology.

Sensitivity of warm-frontal processes to cloud-nucleating aerosol concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Igel, Adele L.; Van Den Heever, Susan C.; Naud, Catherine M.; Saleeby, Stephen M.; Posselt, Derek J.

2013-01-01

An extratropical cyclone that crossed the United States on 9-11 April 2009 was successfully simulated at high resolution (3-km horizontal grid spacing) using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. The sensitivity of the associated warm front to increasing pollution levels was then explored by conducting the same experiment with three different background profiles of cloud-nucleating aerosol concentration. To the authors' knowledge, no study has examined the indirect effects of aerosols on warm fronts. The budgets of ice, cloud water, and rain in the simulation with the lowest aerosol concentrations were examined. The ice mass was found to be produced in equal amounts through vapor deposition and riming, and the melting of ice produced approximately 75% of the total rain. Conversion of cloud water to rain accounted for the other 25%. When cloud-nucleating aerosol concentrations were increased, significant changes were seen in the budget terms, but total precipitation remained relatively constant. Vapor deposition onto ice increased, but riming of cloud water decreased such that there was only a small change in the total ice production and hence there was no significant change in melting. These responses can be understood in terms of a buffering effect in which smaller cloud droplets in the mixed-phase region lead to both an enhanced vapor deposition and decreased riming efficiency with increasing aerosol concentrations. Overall, while large changes were seen in the microphysical structure of the frontal cloud, cloud-nucleating aerosols had little impact on the precipitation production of the warm front.

Influences of in-cloud aerosol scavenging parameterizations on aerosol concentrations and wet deposition in ECHAM5-HAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Croft

2010-02-01

Full Text Available A diagnostic cloud nucleation scavenging scheme, which determines stratiform cloud scavenging ratios for both aerosol mass and number distributions, based on cloud droplet, and ice crystal number concentrations, is introduced into the ECHAM5-HAM global climate model. This scheme is coupled with a size-dependent in-cloud impaction scavenging parameterization for both cloud droplet-aerosol, and ice crystal-aerosol collisions. The aerosol mass scavenged in stratiform clouds is found to be primarily (>90% scavenged by cloud nucleation processes for all aerosol species, except for dust (50%. The aerosol number scavenged is primarily (>90% attributed to impaction. 99% of this impaction scavenging occurs in clouds with temperatures less than 273 K. Sensitivity studies are presented, which compare aerosol concentrations, burdens, and deposition for a variety of in-cloud scavenging approaches: prescribed fractions, a more computationally expensive prognostic aerosol cloud processing treatment, and the new diagnostic scheme, also with modified assumptions about in-cloud impaction and nucleation scavenging. Our results show that while uncertainties in the representation of in-cloud scavenging processes can lead to differences in the range of 20–30% for the predicted annual, global mean aerosol mass burdens, and near to 50% for accumulation mode aerosol number burden, the differences in predicted aerosol mass concentrations can be up to one order of magnitude, particularly for regions of the middle troposphere with temperatures below 273 K where mixed and ice phase clouds exist. Different parameterizations for impaction scavenging changed the predicted global, annual mean number removal attributed to ice clouds by seven-fold, and the global, annual dust mass removal attributed to impaction by two orders of magnitude. Closer agreement with observations of black carbon profiles from aircraft (increases near to one order of magnitude for mixed phase clouds

Direct Observations of Isoprene Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation in Ambient Cloud Droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Zelenyuk, A.; Bell, D.; Thornton, J. A.; Fast, J. D.; Shrivastava, M. B.; Berg, L. K.; Imre, D. G.; Mei, F.; Shilling, J.; Suski, K. J.; Liu, J.; Tomlinson, J. M.; Wang, J.

2017-12-01

Multiphase chemistry of isoprene photooxidation products has been shown to be one of the major sources of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the atmosphere. A number of recent studies indicate that aqueous aerosol phase provides a medium for reactive uptake of isoprene photooxidation products, and in particular, isomeric isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX), with reaction rates and yields being dependent on aerosol acidity, water content, sulfate concentration, and organic coatings. However, very few studies focused on chemistry occurring within actual cloud droplets. We will present data acquired during recent Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) Campaign, which provide direct evidence for IEPOX-SOA formation in cloud droplets. Single particle mass spectrometer, miniSPLAT, and a high-resolution, time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer were used to characterize the composition of aerosol particles and cloud droplet residuals, while a high-resolution, time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-CIMS) was used to characterize gas-phase compounds. We find that the composition of cloud droplet residuals was markedly different than that of aerosol particles sampled outside the cloud. Cloud droplet residuals were comprised of individual particles with high relative fractions of sulfate and nitrate and significant fraction of particles with mass spectra that are nearly identical to those of laboratory-generated IEPOX-SOA particles. The observed cloud-induced formation of IEPOX-SOA was accompanied by simultaneous decrease in measured concentrations of IEPOX and other gas-phase isoprene photooxidation products. Ultimately, the combined cloud, aerosol, and gas-phase measurements conducted during HI-SCALE will be used to develop and evaluate model treatments of aqueous-phase isoprene SOA formation.

Review: The Use of Real-Time Fluorescence Instrumentation to Monitor Ambient Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehael J. Fennelly

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP encompass many particle types that are derived from several biological kingdoms. These aerosol particles can be composed of both whole living units such as pollen, bacteria, and fungi, as well as from mechanically formed particles, such as plant debris. They constitute a significant proportion of the overall atmospheric particle load and have been linked with adverse health issues and climatic effects on the environment. Traditional methods for their analysis have focused on the direct capture of PBAP before subsequent laboratory analysis. These analysis types have generally relied on direct optical microscopy or incubation on agar plates, followed by time-consuming microbiological investigation. In an effort to address some of these deficits, real-time fluorescence monitors have come to prominence in the analysis of PBAP. These instruments offer significant advantages over traditional methods, including the measurement of concentrations, as well as the potential to simultaneously identify individual analyte particles in real-time. Due to the automated nature of these measurements, large data sets can be collected and analyzed with relative ease. This review seeks to highlight and discuss the extensive literature pertaining to the most commonly used commercially available real-time fluorescence monitors (WIBS, UV-APS and BioScout. It discusses the instruments operating principles, their limitations and advantages, and the various environments in which they have been deployed. The review provides a detailed examination of the ambient fluorescent aerosol particle concentration profiles that are obtained by these studies, along with the various strategies adopted by researchers to analyze the substantial data sets the instruments generate. Finally, a brief reflection is presented on the role that future instrumentation may provide in revolutionizing this area of atmospheric research.

Wintertime Arctic Ocean sea water properties and primary marine aerosol concentrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Zábori

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Sea spray aerosols are an important part of the climate system through their direct and indirect effects. Due to the diminishing sea ice, the Arctic Ocean is one of the most rapidly changing sea spray aerosol source areas. However, the influence of these changes on primary particle production is not known.

In laboratory experiments we examined the influence of Arctic Ocean water temperature, salinity, and oxygen saturation on primary particle concentration characteristics. Sea water temperature was identified as the most important of these parameters. A strong decrease in sea spray aerosol production with increasing water temperature was observed for water temperatures between −1°C and 9°C. Aerosol number concentrations decreased from at least 1400 cm⁻³ to 350 cm⁻³. In general, the aerosol number size distribution exhibited a robust shape with one mode close to dry diameter D_p 0.2 μm with approximately 45% of particles at smaller sizes. Changes in sea water temperature did not result in pronounced change of the shape of the aerosol size distribution, only in the magnitude of the concentrations. Our experiments indicate that changes in aerosol emissions are most likely linked to changes of the physical properties of sea water at low temperatures. The observed strong dependence of sea spray aerosol concentrations on sea water temperature, with a large fraction of the emitted particles in the typical cloud condensation nuclei size range, provide strong arguments for a more careful consideration of this effect in climate models.

Aerosol characterization during project POLINAT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagen, D.E.; Hopkins, A.R.; Paladino, J.D.; Whitefield, P.D. [Missouri Univ., Rolla, MO (United States). Cloud and Aerosol Sciences Lab.; Lilenfeld, H.V. [McDonnell Douglas Aerospace-East, St. Louis, MO (United States)

1997-12-31

The objectives of the aerosol/particulate characterization measurements of project POLINAT (POLlution from aircraft emissions In the North ATlantic flight corridor) are: to search for aerosol/particulate signatures of air traffic emissions in the region of the North Atlantic Flight Corridor; to search for the aerosol/particulate component of large scale enhancement (`corridor effects`) of air traffic related species in the North Atlantic region; to determine the effective emission indices for the aerosol/particulate component of engine exhaust in both the near and far field of aircraft exhaust plumes; to measure the dispersion and transformation of the aerosol/particulate component of aircraft emissions as a function of ambient condition; to characterize background levels of aerosol/particulate concentrations in the North Atlantic Region; and to determine effective emission indices for engine exhaust particulates for regimes beyond the jet phase of plume expansion. (author) 10 refs.

Aerosol characterization during project POLINAT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagen, D E; Hopkins, A R; Paladino, J D; Whitefield, P D [Missouri Univ., Rolla, MO (United States). Cloud and Aerosol Sciences Lab.; Lilenfeld, H V [McDonnell Douglas Aerospace-East, St. Louis, MO (United States)

1998-12-31

The objectives of the aerosol/particulate characterization measurements of project POLINAT (POLlution from aircraft emissions In the North ATlantic flight corridor) are: to search for aerosol/particulate signatures of air traffic emissions in the region of the North Atlantic Flight Corridor; to search for the aerosol/particulate component of large scale enhancement (`corridor effects`) of air traffic related species in the North Atlantic region; to determine the effective emission indices for the aerosol/particulate component of engine exhaust in both the near and far field of aircraft exhaust plumes; to measure the dispersion and transformation of the aerosol/particulate component of aircraft emissions as a function of ambient condition; to characterize background levels of aerosol/particulate concentrations in the North Atlantic Region; and to determine effective emission indices for engine exhaust particulates for regimes beyond the jet phase of plume expansion. (author) 10 refs.

Aerosol concentrations and composition in the North Pacific marine boundary layer

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Yongjoo; Rhee, Tae Siek; Collett, Jeffrey L.; Park, Taehyun; Park, Seung-Myung; Seo, Beom-Keun; Park, Gyutae; Park, Keyhong; Lee, Taehyoung

2017-12-01

Ship-borne measurements of inorganic and organic aerosols, including methanesulfonic acid (MSA), were conducted over the Northern Pacific using a High Resolution Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). This study, conducted aboard the Korean ice breaker R/V Araon, was part of the SHIP-borne Pole-to-Pole Observations (SHIPPO) project. Based on air mass source region, the cruise track could be divided into five sections. Overall, the South Asia and Northern Japan ship transects showed higher aerosol concentrations due to continental pollution and biomass burning sources, respectively. In all five regions, the average mass concentrations of sulfate and organic aerosols (OA) were much higher than concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis distinguished two organic aerosol factors as hydrocarbon-like and oxidized OA (HOA and OOA). HOA peaked in South Asia under the influence of anthropogenic pollution source areas, such as China and Korea, and generally decreased with increasing latitude across the full study region. OOA concentrations peaked in Northern Japan near the Tsugaru Strait and appear to reflect fine particle contributions from biomass burning. The mean HOA concentration in the clean marine area (Aleutian Island to Siberia) was 0.06 μg/m3 and comprised approximately 8% of the OA mass fraction. The highest MSA concentrations peaked in the Aleutian Islands at nearly 15 μg/m3, suggesting influence from higher dimethyl sulfide (DMS) emissions resulting from biological nutrient uptake during summer. The MSA/sulfate ratio, an indicator of the relative fine particle contributions of DMS and anthropogenic sources, revealed a sharp gradient as the ship approached the clean marine areas where the dominance of DMS increased. The patterns in OOA, HOA, and MSA concentrations found in this study provide a better understanding of the characteristics of inorganic and organic aerosols in the Northern Pacific Ocean.

Secondary organic aerosol formation from in situ OH, O3, and NO3 oxidation of ambient forest air in an oxidation flow reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Palm, Brett B.; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Day, Douglas A.; Ortega, Amber M.; Fry, Juliane L.; Brown, Steven S.; Zarzana, Kyle J.; Dube, William; Wagner, Nicholas L.; Draper, Danielle C.; Kaser, Lisa; Jud, Werner; Karl, Thomas; Hansel, Armin; Gutiérrez-Montes, Cándido; Jimenez, Jose L.

2017-04-01

Ambient pine forest air was oxidized by OH, O3, or NO3 radicals using an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) during the BEACHON-RoMBAS (Bio-hydro-atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics and Nitrogen - Rocky Mountain Biogenic Aerosol Study) campaign to study biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and organic aerosol (OA) aging. A wide range of equivalent atmospheric photochemical ages was sampled, from hours up to days (for O3 and NO3) or weeks (for OH). Ambient air processed by the OFR was typically sampled every 20-30 min, in order to determine how the availability of SOA precursor gases in ambient air changed with diurnal and synoptic conditions, for each of the three oxidants. More SOA was formed during nighttime than daytime for all three oxidants, indicating that SOA precursor concentrations were higher at night. At all times of day, OH oxidation led to approximately 4 times more SOA formation than either O3 or NO3 oxidation. This is likely because O3 and NO3 will only react with gases containing C = C bonds (e.g., terpenes) to form SOA but will not react appreciably with many of their oxidation products or any species in the gas phase that lacks a C = C bond (e.g., pinonic acid, alkanes). In contrast, OH can continue to react with compounds that lack C = C bonds to produce SOA. Closure was achieved between the amount of SOA formed from O3 and NO3 oxidation in the OFR and the SOA predicted to form from measured concentrations of ambient monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes using published chamber yields. This is in contrast to previous work at this site (Palm et al., 2016), which has shown that a source of SOA from semi- and intermediate-volatility organic compounds (S/IVOCs) 3.4 times larger than the source from measured VOCs is needed to explain the measured SOA formation from OH oxidation. This work suggests that those S/IVOCs typically do not contain C = C bonds. O3 and NO3 oxidation produced SOA with elemental O : C and H : C

Retrieve Aerosol Concentration Based On Surface Model and Distribution of Concentration of PM2.5 ——A Case Study of Beijing

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, H.

2017-12-01

As China's economy continues to grow, urbanization continues to advance, along with growth in all areas to pollutant emissions in the air industry, air quality also continued to deteriorate. Aerosol concentrations as a measure of air quality of the most important part of are more and more people's attention. Traditional monitoring stations measuring aerosol concentration method is accurate, but time-consuming and can't be done simultaneously measure a large area, can only rely on data from several monitoring sites to predict the concentration of the panorama. Remote Sensing Technology retrieves aerosol concentrations being by virtue of their efficient, fast advantages gradually into sight. In this paper, by the method of surface model to start with the physical processes of atmospheric transport, innovative aerosol concentration coefficient proposed to replace the traditional aerosol concentrations, pushed to a set of retrieval of aerosol concentration coefficient method, enabling fast and efficient Get accurate air pollution target area. At the same paper also monitoring data for PM2.5 in Beijing were analyzed from different angles, from the perspective of the data summarized in Beijing PM2.5 concentration of time, space, geographical distribution and concentration of PM2.5 and explored the relationship between aerosol concentration coefficient and concentration of PM2.5.

NASA's Aerosol Sampling Experiment Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Marit E.

2016-01-01

In a spacecraft cabin environment, the size range of indoor aerosols is much larger and they persist longer than on Earth because they are not removed by gravitational settling. A previous aerosol experiment in 1991 documented that over 90 of the mass concentration of particles in the NASA Space Shuttle air were between 10 m and 100 m based on measurements with a multi-stage virtual impactor and a nephelometer (Liu et al. 1991). While the now-retired Space Shuttle had short duration missions (less than two weeks), the International Space Station (ISS) has been continually inhabited by astronauts for over a decade. High concentrations of inhalable particles on ISS are potentially responsible for crew complaints of respiratory and eye irritation and comments about 'dusty' air. Air filtration is the current control strategy for airborne particles on the ISS, and filtration modeling, performed for engineering and design validation of the air revitalization system in ISS, predicted that PM requirements would be met. However, aerosol monitoring has never been performed on the ISS to verify PM levels. A flight experiment is in preparation which will provide data on particulate matter in ISS ambient air. Particles will be collected with a thermophoretic sampler as well as with passive samplers which will extend the particle size range of sampling. Samples will be returned to Earth for chemical and microscopic analyses, providing the first aerosol data for ISS ambient air.

Gas-phase naphthalene concentration data recovery in ambient air and its relevance as a tracer of sources of volatile organic compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Uria-Tellaetxe, Iratxe; Navazo, Marino; de Blas, Maite; Durana, Nieves; Alonso, Lucio; Iza, Jon

2016-04-01

Despite the toxicity of naphthalene and the fact that it is a precursor of atmospheric photooxidants and secondary aerosol, studies on ambient gas-phase naphthalene are generally scarce. Moreover, as far as we are concerned, this is the first published one using long-term hourly ambient gas-phase naphthalene concentrations. In this work, it has been also demonstrated the usefulness of ambient gas-phase naphthalene to identify major sources of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in complex scenarios. Initially, in order to identify main benzene emission sources, hourly ambient measurements of 60 VOC were taken during a complete year together with meteorological data in an urban/industrial area. Later, due to the observed co-linearity of some of the emissions, a procedure was developed to recover naphthalene concentration data from recorded chromatograms to use it as a tracer of the combustion and distillation of petroleum products. The characteristic retention time of this compound was determined comparing previous GC-MS and GC-FID simultaneous analysis by means of relative retention times, and its concentration was calculated by using relative response factors. The obtained naphthalene concentrations correlated fairly well with ethene (r = 0.86) and benzene (r = 0.92). Besides, the analysis of daily time series showed that these compounds followed a similar pattern, very different from that of other VOC, with minimum concentrations at day-time. This, together with the results from the assessment of the meteorological dependence pointed out a coke oven as the major naphthalene and benzene emitting sources in the study area.

Stratospheric sulfate from the Gareloi eruption, 1980: Contribution to the ''ambient'' aerosol by a poorly documented volcanic eruption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedlacek, W.A.; Mroz, E.J.; Heiken, G.

1981-01-01

While sampling stratospheric aerosols during July--August 1980 a plume of ''fresh'' volcanic debris was observed in the Northern hemisphere. The origin of this material seems to be a poorly documented explosive eruption of Gareloi valcano in the Aleutian Islands. The debris was sampled at an altitude of 19.2 km: almost twice the height of observed eruption clouds. Such remote, unobserved or poorly documented eruptions may be a source that helps maintain the ''ambient'' stratospheric aerosol background

The continuous field measurements of soluble aerosol compositions at the Taipei Aerosol Supersite, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shih-Yu; Lee, Chung-Te; Chou, Charles C.-K.; Liu, Shaw-Chen; Wen, Tian-Xue

The characteristics of ambient aerosols, affected by solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and gas-aerosol interaction, changed rapidly at different spatial and temporal scales. In Taipei Basin, dense traffic emissions and sufficient solar radiation for typical summer days favored the formation of secondary aerosols. In winter, the air quality in Taipei Basin was usually affected by the Asian continental outflows due to the long-range transport of pollutants carried by the winter monsoon. The conventional filter-based method needs a long time for collecting aerosols and analyzing compositions, which cannot provide high time-resolution data to investigate aerosol sources, atmospheric transformation processes, and health effects. In this work, the in situ ion chromatograph (IC) system was developed to provide 15-min time-resolution data of nine soluble inorganic species (Cl -, NO 2-, NO 3-, SO 42-, Na +, NH 4+, K +, Mg 2+ and Ca 2+). Over 89% of all particles larger than approximately 0.056 μm were collected by the in situ IC system. The in situ IC system is estimated to have a limit of detection lower than 0.3 μg m -3 for the various ambient ionic components. Depending on the hourly measurements, the pollutant events with high aerosol concentrations in Taipei Basin were associated with the local traffic emission in rush hour, the accumulation of pollutants in the stagnant atmosphere, the emission of industrial pollutants from the nearby factories, the photochemical secondary aerosol formation, and the long-range transport of pollutants from Asian outflows.

INDOOR-OUTDOOR AEROSOL CONCENTRATIONS IN TWO PORTUGUESE CITIES AND THE GLOBAL WARMING SCENARIO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antonio F. Miguel; A. Heitor Reis [Department of Physics, University of Evora (Portugal); Marta Melgao [Geophysics Centre of Evora (Portugal)

2008-09-30

Aerosols play a major role both in climate change and in air quality. They affect climate through interfering with radiative transfer and hence the atmospheric temperature, and also the air quality. Many epidemiological studies have confirmed that a relation exists between elevated aerosol particle concentration and adverse human health effects. Aerosol particle number and size distributions were measured both indoors and outdoors in the urban areas of Evora and Lisbon. We investigated the indoor-to-outdoor relationship of aerosol particles and the aerosol size distributions. The impact of the occurrence of a residential fire in the aerosol size distribution is also analyzed. Finally, we speculate of how global increase in temperature can affect concentration of aerosols in the atmosphere, via increased boundary layer convection.

Intercontinental Transport of Aerosols: Implication for Regional Air Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Mian; Diehl, Thomas; Ginoux, Paul

2006-01-01

Aerosol particles, also known as PM2.5 (particle diameter less than 2.5 microns) and PM10 (particle diameter less than 10 microns), is one of the key atmospheric components that determine ambient air quality. Current US air quality standards for PM10 (particles with diameter air pollution problems, aerosols can be transported on a hemispheric or global scale. In this study, we use the Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model to quantify contributions of long-range transport vs. local/regional pollution sources and from natural vs. anthropogenic sources to PM concentrations different regions. In particular, we estimate the hemispheric impact of anthropogenic sulfate aerosols and dust from major source areas on other regions in the world. The GOCART model results are compared with satellite remote sensing and ground-based network measurements of aerosol optical depth and concentrations.

Comparison of ambient aerosol extinction coefficients obtained from in-situ, MAX-DOAS and LIDAR measurements at Cabauw

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Zieger

2011-03-01

Full Text Available In the field, aerosol in-situ measurements are often performed under dry conditions (relative humidity RH<30–40%. Since ambient aerosol particles experience hygroscopic growth at enhanced RH, their microphysical and optical properties – especially the aerosol light scattering – are also strongly dependent on RH. The knowledge of this RH effect is of crucial importance for climate forcing calculations or for the comparison of remote sensing with in-situ measurements. Here, we will present results from a four-month campaign which took place in summer 2009 in Cabauw, The Netherlands. The aerosol scattering coefficient σ_sp(λ was measured dry and at various, predefined RH conditions between 20 and 95% with a humidified nephelometer. The scattering enhancement factor f(RH,λ is the key parameter to describe the effect of RH on σ_sp(λ and is defined as σ_sp(RH,λ measured at a certain RH divided by the dry σ_sp(dry,λ. The measurement of f(RH,λ together with the dry absorption measurement (assumed not to change with RH allows the determination of the actual extinction coefficient σ_ep(RH,λ at ambient RH. In addition, a wide range of other aerosol properties were measured in parallel. The measurements were used to characterize the effects of RH on the aerosol optical properties. A closure study showed the consistency of the aerosol in-situ measurements. Due to the large variability of air mass origin (and thus aerosol composition a simple parameterization of f(RH,λ could not be established. If f(RH,λ needs to be predicted, the chemical composition and size distribution need to be known. Measurements of four MAX-DOAS (multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy instruments were used to retrieve vertical profiles of σ_ep(λ. The values of the lowest layer were compared to the in-situ values after conversion of the latter ones to ambient

On the contribution of organics to the North East Atlantic aerosol number concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bialek, Jakub; Dall’Osto, Manuel; Monahan, Ciaran; O’Dowd, Colin; Beddows, David

2012-01-01

k-means statistical-cluster analysis of submicron aerosol size distributions is combined with coincident humidity tandem differential mobility analyser data, leading to five unique aerosol categories for hygroscopic growth factors (HGFs): low sea-salt background marine, high sea-salt background marine, coastal nucleation, open ocean nucleation and anthropogenically influenced scenarios. When considering only marine conditions, and generic aerosol species associated with this environment (e.g. non-sea-salt sulfate, sea-salt, partly soluble organic matter and water insoluble organic matter), the two-year annual average contribution to aerosol number concentration from the different generic species was made up as follows: 46% (30–54%) of partially modified ammonium sulfate particles; 23% (11–40%) of partially modified sea-salt; and the remaining 31% (25–35%) contribution attributed to two distinct organic species as evidenced by different, but low, HGFs. The analysis reveals that on annual timescales, ∼30% of the submicron marine aerosol number concentration is sourced from predominantly organic aerosol while 60% of the anthropogenic aerosol number is predominantly organic. Coastal nucleation events show the highest contribution of the lowest HGF mode (1.19), although this contribution is more likely to be influenced by inorganic iodine oxides. While organic mass internally mixed with inorganic salts will lower the activation potential of these mixed aerosol types, thereby potentially reducing the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), pure organic water soluble particles are still likely to be activated into cloud droplets, thereby increasing the concentration of CCN. A combination of dynamics and aerosol concentrations will determine which effect will prevail under given conditions. (letter)

The composition of ambient and fresh biomass burning aerosols at a savannah site, South Africa

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Minna Aurela

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric aerosols play a key role in climate change, and have adverse effects on human health. Given South Africa�s status as a rapidly-developing country with increasing urbanisation and industrial growth, information on the quality of ambient air is important. In this study, the chemical composition of ambient particles and the particles in fresh biomass burning plumes were studied at a savannah environment in Botsalano, South Africa. The results showed that Botsalano was regularly affected by air masses that had passed over several large point sources. Air masses that had passed over the coal-fired Matimba power station in the Waterberg, or over the platinum group metal smelters in the western Bushveld Igneous Complex, contained high sulfate concentrations in the submicron ranges. These concentrations were 14 to 37 times higher compared with air masses that had passed only over rural areas. Because of the limited nature of this type of data in literature for the interior regions of southern Africa, our report serves as a valuable reference for future studies. In addition, our biomass burning study showed that potassium in the fresh smoke of burning savannah grass was likely to take the form of KCl. Clear differences were found in the ratios for potassium and levoglucosan in the smouldering and flaming phases. Our findings highlight the need for more comprehensive chamber experiments on various fuel types used in southern Africa, to confirm the ratio of important biomass burning tracer species that can be used in source apportionment studies in the future.

Monitoring of organic and elemental carbon (OC/EC) in the atmospheric aerosol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hannemann, A.; Fuchs, J.; Jaeschke, W.; Weingartner, E.; Baltensperger, U.

2003-03-01

A new instrument for the measurement of ambient carbonaceous aerosol concentrations is described, which enables discrimination between organic and elemental carbon on a semi-continuous basis. (author)

Aerosol entrainment from a sparged non-Newtonian slurry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritz, Brad G.

2006-01-01

Aerosol measurements were conducted above a half-scale air sparged mixing tank filled with simulated waste slurry. Three aerosol size fractions were measured at three sampling heights at three different sparging rates using a filter based ambient air sampling technique. Aerosol concentrations in the head space above the closed tank demonstrated a wide range, varying between 97 ?g m-3 for PM2.5 and 5650 ?g m-3 for TSP. The variation in concentrations was a function of sampling heights, size fraction and sparging rate. Measured aerosol entrainment coefficients showed good agreement with existing entrainment models. The models evaluated generally over predicted the entrainment, but were within a factor of two of the measured entrainment. This indicates that the range of applicability of the models may be extendable to include sparged slurries with Bingham plastic rheological properties

Fluorescent biological aerosol particles measured with the Waveband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor WIBS-4: laboratory tests combined with a one year field study

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E. Toprak

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper bioaerosol measurements conducted with the Waveband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor mark 4 (WIBS-4 are presented. The measurements comprise aerosol chamber characterization experiments and a one-year ambient measurement period at a semi-rural site in South Western Germany. This study aims to investigate the sensitivity of WIBS-4 to biological and non-biological aerosols and detection of biological particles in the ambient aerosol. Several types of biological and non-biological aerosol samples, including fungal spores, bacteria, mineral dust, ammonium sulphate, combustion soot, and fluorescent polystyrene spheres, were analyzed by WIBS-4 in the laboratory. The results confirm the sensitivity of the ultraviolet light-induced fluorescence (UV-LIF method to biological fluorophores and show the good discrimination capabilities of the two excitation wavelengths/detection wavebands method applied in WIBS-4. However, a weak cross-sensitivity to non-biological fluorescent interferers remains and is discussed in this paper.

All the laboratory studies have been undertaken in order to prepare WIBS-4 for ambient aerosol measurements. According to the one-year ambient aerosol study, number concentration of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP show strong seasonal and diurnal variability. The highest number concentration of FBAP was measured during the summer term and decreased towards the winter period when colder and drier conditions prevail. Diurnal FBAP concentrations start to increase after sunset and reach maximum values during the late night and early morning hours. On the other hand, the total aerosol number concentration was almost always higher during daytime than during nighttime and a sharp decrease after sunset was observed. There was no correlation observed between the FBAP concentration and the meteorological parameters temperature, precipitation, wind direction and wind speed. However, a clear correlation was

Effects of ambient oxygen concentration on soot temperature and concentration for biodiesel and diesel spray combustion

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Ji

2015-06-01

Ambient oxygen concentration, a key variable directly related to exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) levels in diesel engines, plays a significant role in particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. The utilization of biodiesel in diesel engines has been investigated over the last decades for its renewable characteristics and lower emissions compared to diesel. In an earlier work, we demonstrated that the soot temperature and concentration of biodiesel were lower than diesel under regular diesel engine conditions without EGR. Soot concentration was quantified by a parameter called KL factor. As a continuous effort, this paper presents an experimental investigation of the ambient oxygen concentration on soot temperature and KL factor during biodiesel and diesel spray combustion. The experiment was implemented in a constant volume chamber system, where the ambient oxygen concentration varied from 21 to 10% and the ambient temperature was kept to 1,000 K. A high speed two-color pyrometry technique was used to measure transient soot temperature and the KL factor of the spray flame. The soot temperature of biodiesel is found to be lower than that of diesel under the same conditions, which follows the same trend from our previous results found when the ambient temperature changes to 21% oxygen conditions. A reduction in ambient oxygen concentration generally reduces the soot temperature for both fuels. However, this is a complicated effect on soot processes as the change of oxygen concentration greatly affects the balance between soot formation and oxidation. The KL factor is observed to be the highest at 12% O2 for diesel and 18% O2 for biodiesel, respectively. On the other hand, the 10% O2 condition shows the lowest KL factor for both fuels. These results can provide quantitative experimental evidences to optimize the ambient oxygen concentration for diesel engines using different fuels for better emissions characteristics. © 2014 American Society of

Seasonal variations and sources of ambient fossil and biogenic-derived carbonaceous aerosols based on 14C measurements in Lhasa, Tibet

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jie; Kang, Shichang; Shen, Chengde; Cong, Zhiyuan; Liu, Kexin; Wang, Wei; Liu, Lichao

2010-06-01

A total of 30 samples of total suspended particles were collected at an urban site in Lhasa, Tibet from August 2006 to July 2007 for investigating carbonaceous aerosol features. The fractions of contemporary carbon ( fc) in total carbon (TC) of ambient aerosols are presented using radiocarbon ( 14C) measurements. The value of fc represents the biogenic contribution to TC, as the biosphere releases organic compounds with the present 14C/ 12C level ( fc = 1), whereas 14C has become extinct in anthropogenic emissions of fossil carbon ( fc = 0). The fc values in Lhasa ranging from 0.357 to 0.702, are higher than Beijing and Tokyo, but clearly lower than the rural region of Launceston, which indicates a major biogenic influence in Lhasa. Seasonal variations of fc values corresponded well with variations of pollutants concentrations (e.g. NO 2). Higher fc values appeared in winter indicating carbonaceous aerosol is more dominated by wood burning and incineration of agricultural wastes within this season. The lower fc values in summer and autumn may be caused by increased diesel and petroleum emissions related to tourism in Lhasa. δ13C values ranged from - 26.40‰ to - 25.10‰, with relative higher values in spring and summer, reflecting the increment of fossil carbon emissions.

Modeling organic aerosol concentrations and properties during winter 2014 in the northwestern Mediterranean region

OpenAIRE

Chrit, Mounir; Sartelet, Karine; Sciare, Jean; Majdi, Marwa; Nicolas, José; Petit, Jean-Eudes; Dulac, François

2018-01-01

Organic aerosols are measured at a remote site (Ersa) on Corsica Cape in the northwestern Mediterranean basin during the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (CharMEx) winter campaign of 2014, when high organic concentrations from anthropogenic origin are observed. This work aims at representing the observed organic aerosol concentrations and properties (oxidation state) using the air-quality model Polyphemus with a surrogate approach for secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Becau...

Determination of the concentration of {alpha} emitting radioactive aerosols; Mesure de la concentration des aerosols radioactifs emetteurs {alpha}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Labeyrie, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1953-06-15

In the first part of this work the techniques used for the quantitative measurement of the concentrations of aerosols carrying short lived (radon or thoron daughters) or long lived (uranium) {alpha} radioactive emitters are described. In the second part the author investigates the problem of the determination of radon concentration in air by means of activity determinations on airborne dusts. Special reference is made to the measurement of the radon active deposit on two types of dusts (iron oxide (yellow) and uranium oxide) in small chambers (6 liters). In the third part are given data resulting from determinations of radon and thoron concentrations in atmospheric air in the south of Paris area using this method. (author) [French] Dans la premiere partie de ce travail on expose les techniques utilisees pour la mesure quantitative des concentrations d'aerosols contenant des emetteurs radioactifs {alpha}, tant pour ceux a vie courte (derives du radon ou du thoron) que pour ceux a vie longue (uranium). Dans la seconde partie on traite le probleme de la determination de la concentration de l'air en radon par la mesure de l'activite des poussieres ayant sejourne dans cet air. En particulier, on indique pour de petits volumes (6 litres) la proportion de depot actif du radon qui est fixee sur deux types de poussieres (limonite et oxyde d'uranium) en fonction de la concentration de celles-ci. Dans la troisieme partie on donne quelques exemples de mesure par cette methode de la concentration en radon et en thoron de l'atmosphere de la region parisienne. (auteur)

Real-time characterization of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient aerosols and from motor-vehicle exhaust

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A. Polidori

2008-03-01

Full Text Available A photo-electric aerosol sensor, a diffusion charger, an Aethalometer, and a continuous particle counter were used along with other real-time instruments to characterize the particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (p-PAH content, and the physical/chemical characteristics of aerosols collected a in Wilmington (CA near the Los Angeles port and close to 2 major freeways, and b at a dynamometer testing facility in downtown Los Angeles (CA, where 3 diesel trucks were tested. In Wilmington, the p-PAH, surface area, particle number, and "black" carbon concentrations were 4-8 times higher at 09:00–11:00 a.m. than between 17:00 and 18:00 p.m., suggesting that during rush hour traffic people living in that area are exposed to a higher number of diesel combustion particles enriched in p-PAH coatings. Dynamometer tests revealed that the p-PAH emissions from the "baseline" truck (no catalytic converter were up to 200 times higher than those from the 2 vehicles equipped with advanced emission control technologies, and increased when the truck was accelerating. In Wilmington, integrated filter samples were collected and analyzed to determine the concentrations of the most abundant p-PAHs. A correlation between the total p-PAH concentration (μg/m³ and the measured photo-electric aerosol sensor signal (fA was also established. Estimated ambient p-PAH concentrations (Average=0.64 ng/m³; Standard deviation=0.46 ng/m³ were in good agreement with those reported in previous studies conducted in Los Angeles during a similar time period. Finally, we calculated the approximate theoretical lifetime (70 years per 24-h/day lung-cancer risk in the Wilmington area due to inhalation of multi-component p-PAHs and "black" carbon. Our results indicate that the lung-cancer risk is highest during rush hour traffic and lowest in the afternoon, and that the genotoxic risk of the considered p-PAHs does not seem to contribute to a significant

Different relationships between personal exposure and ambient concentration by particle size.

Science.gov (United States)

Guak, Sooyoung; Lee, Kiyoung

2018-04-06

Ambient particulate matter (PM) concentrations at monitoring stations were often used as an indicator of population exposure to PM in epidemiological studies. The correlation between personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PM varied because of diverse time-activity patterns. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 with minimal impact of time-activity pattern on personal exposure. Performance of the MicroPEM, v3.2 was evaluated by collocation with central ambient air monitors for PM 10 and PM 2.5 . A field technician repeatedly conducted measurement of 24 h personal exposures to PM 10 and PM 2.5 with a fixed time-activity pattern of office worker over 26 days in Seoul, Korea. The relationship between the MicroPEM and the ambient air monitor showed good linearity. Personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PM 2.5 were highly correlated with a fixed time-activity pattern compared with PM 10 . The finding implied a high infiltration rate of PM 2.5 and low infiltration rate of PM 10 . The relationship between personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 was different for high level episodes. In the Asian dust episode, staying indoors could reduce personal exposure to PM 10 . However, personal exposure to PM 2.5 could not be reduced by staying indoors during the fine dust advisory episode.

Onshore Wind Speed Modulates Microbial Aerosols along an Urban Waterfront

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M. Elias Dueker

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Wind blowing over aquatic and terrestrial surfaces produces aerosols, which include microbial aerosols. We studied the effect of onshore wind speeds on aerosol concentrations as well as total and culturable microbial aerosols (bacterial and viral at an urban waterfront (New York, NY, United States of America. We used two distinct methods to characterize microbial aerosol responses to wind speed: A culture-based exposure-plate method measuring viable bacterial deposition near-shore (CFU accumulation rate; and a culture-independent aerosol sampler-based method measuring total bacterial and viral aerosols (cells m−3 air. While ambient coarse (>2 µm and fine (0.3–2 µm aerosol particle number concentrations (regulated indicators of air quality decreased with increasing onshore wind speeds, total and depositing culturable bacterial aerosols and total viral aerosols increased. Taxonomic identification of the 16S rDNA of bacterial aerosol isolates suggested both terrestrial and aquatic sources. Wind appears to increase microbial aerosol number concentrations in the near-shore environment by onshore transport at low wind speeds (<4 m s−1, and increased local production and transport of new microbial aerosols from adjacent water surfaces at higher wind speeds (>4 m s−1. This study demonstrates a wind-modulated microbial connection between water and air in the coastal urban environment, with implications for public health management and urban microbial ecology.

Heterogeneous formation of HONO on carbonaceous aerosol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ammann, M.; Kalberer, M.; Tabor, K. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] [and others

1997-09-01

Based on an on-line and in situ experimental approach, for the first time heterogeneous production of nitrous acid (HONO) on carbon aerosol at ambient pressure and low NO{sub 2} concentration has been quantified by use of a {sup 13}N tracer technique. (author) 1 fig., 4 refs.

Measurement of particle size distribution and mass concentration of nuclear fuel aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickering, S.

1982-01-01

The particle size distribution and particle mass concentration of a nuclear fuel aerosol is measured by admitting the aerosol into a vertically-extending container, positioning an alpha particle detector within the container so that its window is horizontal and directed vertically, stopping the admission of aerosol into the container, detecting the alpha-activity of the particles of the aerosol sedimenting onto the detector window (for example in a series of equal time intervals until a constant level is reached), and converting the alpha-activity measurements into particle size distribution and/or particle mass concentration measurements. The detector is attached to a pivotted arm and by raising a counterweight can be lowered from the container for cleaning. (author)

Strong influence of deposition and vertical mixing on secondary organic aerosol concentrations in CMAQ and CAMx

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Qian; Koo, Bonyoung; Yarwood, Greg; Henderson, Barron H.

2017-12-01

Differences between two air quality modeling systems reveal important uncertainties in model representations of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) fate. Two commonly applied models (CMAQ: Community Multiscale Air Quality; CAMx: Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions) predict very different OA concentrations over the eastern U.S., even when using the same source data for emissions and meteorology and the same SOA modeling approach. Both models include an option to output a detailed accounting of how each model process (e.g., chemistry, deposition, etc.) alters the mass of each modeled species, referred to as process analysis. We therefore perform a detailed diagnostic evaluation to quantify simulated tendencies (Gg/hr) of each modeled process affecting both the total model burden (Gg) of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) in the gas (g) and aerosol (a) phases and the vertical structures to identify causes of concentration differences between the two models. Large differences in deposition (CMAQ: 69.2 Gg/d; CAMx: 46.5 Gg/d) contribute to significant OA bias in CMAQ relative to daily averaged ambient concentration measurements. CMAQ's larger deposition results from faster daily average deposition velocities (VD) for both SVOC (g) (VD,cmaq = 2.15 × VD,camx) and aerosols (VD,cmaq = 4.43 × Vd,camx). Higher aerosol deposition velocity would be expected to cause similar biases for inert compounds like elemental carbon (EC), but this was not seen. Daytime low-biases in EC were also simulated in CMAQ as expected but were offset by nighttime high-biases. Nighttime high-biases were a result of overly shallow mixing in CMAQ leading to a higher fraction of EC total atmospheric mass in the first layer (CAMx: 5.1-6.4%; CMAQ: 5.6-6.9%). Because of the opposing daytime and nighttime biases, the apparent daily average bias for EC is reduced. For OA, there are two effects of reduced vertical mixing: SOA and SVOC are concentrated near the surface, but SOA yields are reduced

Seasonal variability of aerosol concentration and size distribution in Cape Verde using a continuous aerosol optical spectrometer

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Casimiro Adrião Pio

2014-05-01

Full Text Available One year of, almost continuous, measurements of aerosol optical properties and chemical composition were performed at the outskirts of Praia, Santiago Island, Cape Verde, within the framework of CV-DUST (Atmospheric aerosol in Cape Verde region: seasonal evaluation of composition, sources and transport research project, during 2011. This article reports the aerosol number and mass concentration measurements using a GRIMM Optical Aerosol Spectrometer that provides number size discrimination into 31 size ranges from 0.25 to 32 µm. Time series of 5 min average PM10 concentrations revealed peak values higher than 1000 µg.m-3 during winter dust storm events originating over Northern Africa. The 24 hours average concentrations exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO guidelines for PM2.5 and PM10 in 20% and 30% of the 2001 days, respectively. Annual average mass concentrations (±standard deviation for PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were 5±5, 19±21 and 48±64 µg.m-3, respectively. The annual PM2.5 and PM10 values were also above the limits prescribed by the WHO (10 and 20 µg.m-3, respectively. The aerosol mass size distribution revealed two main modes for particles smaller than 10 µm: a fine mode (0.7-0.8 µm, which possibly results of gas to particle conversion processes; and a coarse mode with maxima at 3-4 µm, which is associated with desert dust and sea salt sources. Within the coarse mode two sub-modes with maxima at 5-6 µm and 10-12 µm were frequently present.

An assessment of a spiral duct centrifuge using standard and high concentration aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, A.D.

1982-12-01

The Stoeber spiral duct centrifuge has been calibrated by means of polystyrene latex microspheres for the subsequent measurement of aerosol particle size distributions. Intermediate (1 g m -3 ) ad high (100 g m -3 ) sodium chloride aerosol concentrations have been sampled by the centrifuge to determine possible limitations in the equipment. Corrections have to be made for the effect of Coriolis forces, and aerosol concentrations above 1 g m -3 should be diluted before sampling. The spiral duct centrifuge is an extremely versatile instrument for aerosol analysis, and shows a high degree of reliability when operated under well-defined conditions. (author)

FORMULATION OF AEROSOL CONCENTRATES CONTAINING HARUAN (Channa striatus FOR WOUND DRESSING

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FEBRIYENTI

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to formulate an aerosol concentrate containing haruan (Channa striatus water extract that would produce a thin film when sprayed onto a wound and could be used for wound dressing. The aerosol concentrates were formulated with various polymer and plasticiser mixtures and tested in dispersion systems. The polymers evaluated were hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC, carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC Sodium, acacia, tragacanth, chitosan, gelatine and gelatine (bloom 151–160, all at concentrations of 2%. The plasticisers evaluated were polyethylene glycol (PEG 400 and 4000, glycerine, propylene glycol, and triacetin. Films were prepared from film-forming dispersions by casting techniques. Film-forming dispersions were characterised in terms of pH, density, surface tension, rheological properties, particle size distribution, and tackiness. Based on these evaluations, HPMC was chosen as the best polymer. It produced a film with the expected qualities and was easy to reproduce in the form of dispersions or as thin transparent films. Glycerine was judged as the most appropriate plasticiser because it produced the concentrate having the desired qualities and properties expected from an aerosol concentrate

Theoretical basis for convective invigoration due to increased aerosol concentration

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Z. J. Lebo

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The potential effects of increased aerosol loading on the development of deep convective clouds and resulting precipitation amounts are studied by employing the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF model as a detailed high-resolution cloud resolving model (CRM with both detailed bulk and bin microphysics schemes. Both models include a physically-based activation scheme that incorporates a size-resolved aerosol population. We demonstrate that the aerosol-induced effect is controlled by the balance between latent heating and the increase in condensed water aloft, each having opposing effects on buoyancy. It is also shown that under polluted conditions, increases in the CCN number concentration reduce the cumulative precipitation due to the competition between the sedimentation and evaporation/sublimation timescales. The effect of an increase in the IN number concentration on the dynamics of deep convective clouds is small and the resulting decrease in domain-averaged cumulative precipitation is shown not to be statistically significant, but may act to suppress precipitation. It is also shown that even in the presence of a decrease in the domain-averaged cumulative precipitation, an increase in the precipitation variance, or in other words, andincrease in rainfall intensity, may be expected in more polluted environments, especially in moist environments.

A significant difference exists between the predictions based on the bin and bulk microphysics schemes of precipitation and the influence of aerosol perturbations on updraft velocity within the convective core. The bulk microphysics scheme shows little change in the latent heating rates due to an increase in the CCN number concentration, while the bin microphysics scheme demonstrates significant increases in the latent heating aloft with increasing CCN number concentration. This suggests that even a detailed two-bulk microphysics scheme, coupled to a detailed activation scheme, may not be

Chromatography related performance of the Monitor for Aerosols and Gases in Ambient Air (MARGA): laboratory and field based evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Evaluation of the semi-continuous Monitor for Aerosols and Gases in Ambient Air (MARGA, Metrohm Applikon B.V.) was conducted with an emphasis on examination of accuracy and precision associated with processing of chromatograms. Using laboratory standards and atmospheric measureme...

Water content of aged aerosol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. J. Engelhart

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The composition and physical properties of aged atmospheric aerosol were characterized at a remote sampling site on the northern coast of Crete, Greece during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment in May 2008 (FAME-2008. A reduced Dry-Ambient Aerosol Size Spectrometer (DAASS was deployed to measure the aerosol water content and volumetric growth factor of fine particulate matter. The particles remained wet even at relative humidity (RH as low as 20%. The aerosol was acidic during most of the measurement campaign, which likely contributed to the water uptake at low RH. The water content observations were compared to the thermodynamic model E-AIM, neglecting any contribution of the organics to aerosol water content. There was good agreement between the water measurements and the model predictions. Adding the small amount of water associated with the organic aerosol based on monoterpene water absorption did not change the quality of the agreement. These results strongly suggest that the water uptake by aged organic aerosol is relatively small (a few percent of the total water for the conditions during FAME-08 and generally consistent with what has been observed in laboratory experiments. The water concentration measured by a Q-AMS was well correlated with the DAASS measurements and in good agreement with the predicted values for the RH of the Q-AMS inlet. This suggests that, at least for the conditions of the study, the Q-AMS can provide valuable information about the aerosol water concentrations if the sample is not dried.

Direct gravimetric determination of aerosol mass concentration in central antarctica.

Science.gov (United States)

Annibaldi, Anna; Truzzi, Cristina; Illuminati, Silvia; Scarponi, Giuseppe

2011-01-01

In Antarctica, experimental difficulties due to extreme conditions have meant that aerosol mass has rarely been measured directly by gravimetry, and only in coastal areas where concentrations were in the range of 1-7 μg m(-3). The present work reports on a careful differential weighing methodology carried out for the first time on the plateau of central Antarctica (Dome C, East Antarctica). To solve problems of accurate aerosol mass measurements, a climatic room was used for conditioning and weighing filters. Measurements were carried out in long stages of several hours of readings with automatic recording of temperature/humidity and mass. This experimental scheme allowed us to sample from all the measurements (up to 2000) carried out before and after exposure, those which were recorded under the most stable humidity conditions and, even more importantly, as close to each other as possible. The automatic reading of the mass allowed us in any case to obtain hundreds of measurements from which to calculate average values with uncertainties sufficiently low to meet the requirements of the differential weighing procedure (±0.2 mg in filter weighing, between ±7% and ±16% both in aerosol mass and concentration measurements). The results show that the average summer aerosol mass concentration (aerodynamic size ≤10 μm) in central Antarctica is about 0.1 μg m(-3), i.e., about 1/10 of that of coastal Antarctic areas. The concentration increases by about 4-5 times at a site very close to the station.

Methods for estimating on-site ambient air concentrations at disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, S.T.

1987-01-01

Currently, Gaussian type dispersion modeling and point source approximation are combined to estimate the ambient air concentrations of pollutants dispersed downwind of an areawide emission source, using the approach of virtual point source approximation. This Gaussian dispersion modeling becomes less accurate as the receptor comes closer to the source, and becomes inapplicable for the estimation of on-site ambient air concentrations at disposal sites. Partial differential equations are solved with appropriate boundary conditions for use in estimating the on-site concentrations in the ambient air impacted by emissions from an area source such as land disposal sites. Two variations of solution techniques are presented, and their predictions are compared

Secondary organic aerosol formation from in-use motor vehicle emissions using a potential aerosol mass reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Tkacik, Daniel S; Lambe, Andrew T; Jathar, Shantanu; Li, Xiang; Presto, Albert A; Zhao, Yunliang; Blake, Donald; Meinardi, Simone; Jayne, John T; Croteau, Philip L; Robinson, Allen L

2014-10-07

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from in-use vehicle emissions was investigated using a potential aerosol mass (PAM) flow reactor deployed in a highway tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Experiments consisted of passing exhaust-dominated tunnel air through a PAM reactor over integrated hydroxyl radical (OH) exposures ranging from ∼ 0.3 to 9.3 days of equivalent atmospheric oxidation. Experiments were performed during heavy traffic periods when the fleet was at least 80% light-duty gasoline vehicles on a fuel-consumption basis. The peak SOA production occurred after 2-3 days of equivalent atmospheric oxidation. Additional OH exposure decreased the SOA production presumably due to a shift from functionalization to fragmentation dominated reaction mechanisms. Photo-oxidation also produced substantial ammonium nitrate, often exceeding the mass of SOA. Analysis with an SOA model highlight that unspeciated organics (i.e., unresolved complex mixture) are a very important class of precursors and that multigenerational processing of both gases and particles is important at longer time scales. The chemical evolution of the organic aerosol inside the PAM reactor appears to be similar to that observed in the atmosphere. The mass spectrum of the unoxidized primary organic aerosol closely resembles ambient hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA). After aging the exhaust equivalent to a few hours of atmospheric oxidation, the organic aerosol most closely resembles semivolatile oxygenated organic aerosol (SV-OOA) and then low-volatility organic aerosol (LV-OOA) at higher OH exposures. Scaling the data suggests that mobile sources contribute ∼ 2.9 ± 1.6 Tg SOA yr(-1) in the United States, which is a factor of 6 greater than all mobile source particulate matter emissions reported by the National Emissions Inventory. This highlights the important contribution of SOA formation from vehicle exhaust to ambient particulate matter concentrations in urban areas.

Aerosol concentration measurements and correlations with air mass trajectories at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Micheletti, M. I.; Louedec, K.; Freire, M.; Vitale, P.; Piacentini, R. D.

2017-06-01

Aerosols play an important role in radiative transfer processes involved in different fields of study. In particular, their influence is crucial in the attenuation of light at astronomical and astrophysical observatories, and has to be taken into account in light transfer models employed to reconstruct the signals. The Andean Argentinean region is increasingly being considered as a good candidate to host such facilities, as well as the ones for solar-energy resources, and an adequate knowledge of aerosols characteristics there is needed, but it is not always possible due to the vast area involved and the scarce atmospheric data at ground. The aim of this work is to find correlations between aerosol data and particle trajectories that can give an insight into the origin and behaviour of aerosols in this zone and can be employed in situations in which one does not have local aerosol measurements. For this purpose, an aerosol spectrometer and dust monitor (Grimm 1.109) was installed at the Pierre Auger Observatory of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, to record aerosol concentrations in different size intervals, at surface level. These measurements are analysed and correlated with air mass trajectories obtained from HYSPLIT (NOAA) model calculations. High aerosol concentrations are registered predominantly when air masses have travelled mostly over continental areas, mainly from the NE direction, while low aerosol concentrations are found in correspondence with air masses coming from the Pacific Ocean, from the NW direction. Different size distribution patterns were found for the aerosols depending on their origin: marine or continental. This work shows for the first time the size distribution of aerosols registered at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The correlations found between mass and particle concentrations (total and for different size ranges) and HYSPLIT air mass trajectories, confirm that the latter can be employed as a useful tool to infer the sources, evolution

Development and Application of an Oxidation Flow Reactor to Study Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Ambient Air

Science.gov (United States)

Palm, Brett Brian

Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in the atmosphere play an important role in air quality, human health, and climate. However, the sources, formation pathways, and fate of SOA are poorly constrained. In this dissertation, I present development and application of the oxidation flow reactor (OFR) technique for studying SOA formation from OH, O3, and NO3 oxidation of ambient air. With a several-minute residence time and a portable design with no inlet, OFRs are particularly well-suited for this purpose. I first introduce the OFR concept, and discuss several advances I have made in performing and interpreting OFR experiments. This includes estimating oxidant exposures, modeling the fate of low-volatility gases in the OFR (wall loss, condensation, and oxidation), and comparing SOA yields of single precursors in the OFR with yields measured in environmental chambers. When these experimental details are carefully considered, SOA formation in an OFR can be more reliably compared with ambient SOA formation processes. I then present an overview of what OFR measurements have taught us about SOA formation in the atmosphere. I provide a comparison of SOA formation from OH, O3, and NO3 oxidation of ambient air in a wide variety of environments, from rural forests to urban air. In a rural forest, the SOA formation correlated with biogenic precursors (e.g., monoterpenes). In urban air, it correlated instead with reactive anthropogenic tracers (e.g., trimethylbenzene). In mixed-source regions, the SOA formation did not correlate well with any single precursor, but could be predicted by multilinear regression from several precursors. Despite these correlations, the concentrations of speciated ambient VOCs could only explain approximately 10-50% of the total SOA formed from OH oxidation. In contrast, ambient VOCs could explain all of the SOA formation observed from O3 and NO3 oxidation. Evidence suggests that lower-volatility gases (semivolatile and intermediate-volatility organic

Hanford 200 East Area ambient NO/sub x/ concentrations, February 1968 through February 1969

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramsdell, J.V.

1981-09-01

Ambient concentrations of oxides of nitrogen (NO/sub x/) were measured in the vicinity of the 200 East Area of Hanford from late February 1968 through February 1969. This report contains an analysis of the complete set to document the ambient NO/sub x/ concentrations during time periods when the Purex Plant was emitting NO/sub x/. It is not intended to represent either current ambient NO/sub x/ concentrations or concentrations during Purex Plant operation in the future. However, it does provide a reference for use in comparison of ambient NO/sub x/ concentrations during future periods of Purex emissions with those occurring in past periods. It is also of interest to compare the annual average concentrations estimated from the measurements with the national primary ambient air quality standard for NO 2 , which is 50 parts per billion (ppb) annual arithmetic mean

Sampling Indoor Aerosols on the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Marit E.

2016-01-01

In a spacecraft cabin environment, the size range of indoor aerosols is much larger and they persist longer than on Earth because they are not removed by gravitational settling. A previous aerosol experiment in 1991 documented that over 90 of the mass concentration of particles in the NASA Space Shuttle air were between 10 m and 100 m based on measurements with a multi-stage virtual impactor and a nephelometer (Liu et al. 1991). While the now-retired Space Shuttle had short duration missions (less than two weeks), the International Space Station (ISS) has been continually inhabited by astronauts for over a decade. High concentrations of inhalable particles on ISS are potentially responsible for crew complaints of respiratory and eye irritation and comments about 'dusty' air. Air filtration is the current control strategy for airborne particles on the ISS, and filtration modeling, performed for engineering and design validation of the air revitalization system in ISS, predicted that PM requirements would be met. However, aerosol monitoring has never been performed on the ISS to verify PM levels. A flight experiment is in preparation which will provide data on particulate matter in ISS ambient air. Particles will be collected with a thermophoretic sampler as well as with passive samplers which will extend the particle size range of sampling. Samples will be returned to Earth for chemical and microscopic analyses, providing the first aerosol data for ISS ambient air.

Elemental composition of ambient aerosols measured with high temporal resolution using an online XRF spectrometer

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M. Furger

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The Xact 625 Ambient Metals Monitor was tested during a 3-week field campaign at the rural, traffic-influenced site Härkingen in Switzerland during the summer of 2015. The field campaign encompassed the Swiss National Day fireworks event, providing increased concentrations and unique chemical signatures compared to non-fireworks (or background periods. The objective was to evaluate the data quality by intercomparison with other independent measurements and test its applicability for aerosol source quantification. The Xact was configured to measure 24 elements in PM10 with 1 h time resolution. Data quality was evaluated for 10 24 h averages of Xact data by intercomparison with 24 h PM10 filter data analysed with ICP-OES for major elements, ICP-MS for trace elements, and gold amalgamation atomic absorption spectrometry for Hg. Ten elements (S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ba, Pb showed excellent correlation between the compared methods, with r2 values  ≥  0.95. However, the slopes of the regressions between Xact 625 and ICP data varied from 0.97 to 1.8 (average 1.28 and thus indicated generally higher Xact elemental concentrations than ICP for these elements. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed, but further investigations are needed. For the remaining elements no conclusions could be drawn about their quantification for various reasons, mainly detection limit issues. An indirect intercomparison of hourly values was performed for the fireworks peak, which brought good agreement of total masses when the Xact data were corrected with the regressions from the 24 h value intercomparison. The results demonstrate that multi-metal characterization at high-time-resolution capability of Xact is a valuable and practical tool for ambient monitoring.

Number concentrations of solid particles from the spinning top aerosol generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, J.P.

1983-02-01

A spinning top aerosol generator has been used to generate monodisperse methylene blue particles in the size range from 0.6 to 6 μm. The number concentrations of these aerosols have been determined by means of an optical particle counter and compared with the equivalent measurements obtained by filter collection and microscopy. (author)

Combustion characteristics of water-insoluble elemental and organic carbon in size selected ambient aerosol particles

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K. Wittmaack

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Combustion of elemental carbon (EC and organic carbon (OC contained in ambient aerosol matter was explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM in combination with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX. To ease identification of the particles of interest and to avoid or at least reduce interaction with simultaneously sampled inorganic oxides and salts, the approach used in this work differed in two ways from commonly applied procedures. First, rather than using a mixture of particles of vastly different sizes, as in PM10 or PM2.5, aerosol matter was collected in a 5-stage impactor. Second, the water soluble fraction of the collected matter was removed prior to analysis. Diesel soot particles, which appeared in the well-known form of chain-type aggregates, constituted the major fraction of EC. In contrast, OC containing particles were observed in a variety of shapes, including a sizable amount of bioaerosol matter appearing mostly in the size range above about 1 µm. During heating in ambient air for 1h, diesel soot particles were found to be stable up to 470°C, but complete combustion occurred in a narrow temperature interval between about 480 and 510°C. After diesel soot combustion, minute quantities of 'ash' were observed in the form of aggregated tiny particles with sizes less than 10 nm. These particles could be due to elemental or oxidic contaminants of diesel soot. Combustion of OC was observed over a wide range of temperatures, from well below 200°C to at least 500°C. Incompletely burnt bioaerosol matter was still found after heating to 600°C. The results imply that the EC fraction in aerosol matter can be overestimated significantly if the contribution of OC to a thermogram is not well separated.

EXPOSURE TO CONCENTRATED AMBIENT PARTICLES (CAPS): REVIEW

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Epidemiologic studies support a participation of fine particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of 0.1 to 2.5 microm in the effects of air pollution particles on human health. The ambient fine particle concentrator is a recently developed technology that can enrich the mass of ambi...

Time-series analysis for ambient concentrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez-Manteiga, W.; Prada-Sanchez, J.M.; Cao, R.; Garcia-Jurado, I.; Febrero-Bande, M.; Lucas-Dominguez, T. (Santiago de Compostela University, Santiago de Compostela (Spain). Dept. of Statistics and Operations Research)

1993-02-01

In this paper a dynamic system is presented which has been implemented to predict, every 5 min, the ambient concentrations of SO[sub 2] in the neighbourhood of a power station run by ENDESA, the National Electricity Company of Spain, in As Pontes. This prediction task is very important in order to prevent a high ground-level of concentration of SO[sub 2]. For forecasting a mixed model is used which has a parametric component and a nonparametric one. Confidence intervals are also constructed for future observations using bootstrap and classical techniques. 4 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Oxidative potential of ambient fine aerosol over a semi-urban site in the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Anil; Rastogi, Neeraj

2018-02-01

Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) receives emissions from variety of pollutant sources such as post-harvest crop residue burning, vehicles, industries, power plants, and bio-fuel burning. Several studies have documented physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosol over the IGP; however, their oxidative potential (OP) has not yet documented. Present study reports the OP (measured through dithiothreitol (DTT) assay) of soluble particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) over Patiala (30.3°N, 76.4°E, 249 m amsl), a semi-urban site located in the IGP, during winter 2014. Volume-normalized OP (range: 1.3-7.2 nmol DTT min-1 m-3, average: 3.8 ± 1.4, 1σ) is found to be ∼3 to 20 times higher, and mass-normalized OP (range: 13-50 pmol DTT min-1 μg-1, average: 27 ± 8, 1σ) is found to be similar or higher than those documented in literature. Further, observed OP is found to depend more on PM2.5 composition rather than mass concentration. Mass fractions of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) correlate positively whereas that of secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA, sum of the concentrations of SO42-, NO3- and NH4+) correlate negatively with OP μg-1 at considerable significance level (p < 0.05). Negative correlation of SIA with OP μg-1 has been assessed in laboratory experiment and attributed to their DTT inactive nature. It is suggested to use WSOC/SIA ratio as a measure of DTT activity of secondary particles over the study region. Further, biomass burning derived species are observed to be more DTT active than those derived from fossil fuel burning. It was also observed that the slope of OP μg-1 and WSOC/SIA ratio linear relationship enhances significantly in samples collected during days following foggy nights in comparison to that in samples collected during non-foggy period, which may be due to the production of redox-active species by fog processing. Such studies have implications in assessing

Source characterization of ambient fine aerosol in Singapore during a haze episode in 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Hapsari Budisulistiorini, Sri; Riva, Matthieu; Williams, Michael; Miyakawa, Takuma; Komazaki, Yuichi; Chen, Jing; Surratt, Jason; Kuwata, Mikinori

2017-04-01

Recurring transboundary haze from Indonesia peatland fires in the previous decades has significantly elevated particulate matter (PM) concentration in Southeast Asia, particularly during the 2015 El Niño event. Previous studies have investigated chemical composition of particles emitted during haze episodes; however, they were limited to time-integrated samples and the number of identified compounds. Low time-resolution measurement results in co-variance of PM sources; therefore, higher time-resolution measurement is important in PM source apportionment. Between October 10-31, 2015, Aerodyne Time-of-Flight Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ToF-ACSM) was deployed for real-time chemical characterization of ambient submicron PM (NR-PM1) in Singapore. Simultaneously, PM2.5 filter samples were collected for molecular-level organic aerosol (OA) constituents, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and water-soluble OC (WSOC) analyses. OA constituents were quantified by gas chromatography interfaced to electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography interfaced to electrospray ionization high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer operated in the negative ion mode (UPLC/(-)ESI-HR-Q-TOFMS). OA and SO42- are dominant components of the haze particles, accounting for ˜77% and ˜12% of the total NR-PM1 mass, respectively. OC/EC ratio of 4.8 might indicate formation of secondary OA (SOA) and aerosols from biomass burning, including those from peat burning. OA fraction from ToF-ACSM measurements was analyzed for source apportionment using a bilinear model through multi-linear engine algorithm (ME-2) in graphical user interface SoFi (Source Finder). Five OA factors were identified: hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), biomass burning OA (BBOA), peat burning OA (PBOA), low-volatility oxygenated OA (LV-OOA), and semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA). The HOA factor shows a distinct diurnal profile peaking in the morning and

Simulating the oxygen content of ambient organic aerosol with the 2D volatility basis set

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B. N. Murphy

2011-08-01

Full Text Available A module predicting the oxidation state of organic aerosol (OA has been developed using the two-dimensional volatility basis set (2D-VBS framework. This model is an extension of the 1D-VBS framework and tracks saturation concentration and oxygen content of organic species during their atmospheric lifetime. The host model, a one-dimensional Lagrangian transport model, is used to simulate air parcels arriving at Finokalia, Greece during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment in May 2008 (FAME-08. Extensive observations were collected during this campaign using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS and a thermodenuder to determine the chemical composition and volatility, respectively, of the ambient OA. Although there are several uncertain model parameters, the consistently high oxygen content of OA measured during FAME-08 (O:C = 0.8 can help constrain these parameters and elucidate OA formation and aging processes that are necessary for achieving the high degree of oxygenation observed. The base-case model reproduces observed OA mass concentrations (measured mean = 3.1 μg m⁻³, predicted mean = 3.3 μg m⁻³ and O:C (predicted O:C = 0.78 accurately. A suite of sensitivity studies explore uncertainties due to (1 the anthropogenic secondary OA (SOA aging rate constant, (2 assumed enthalpies of vaporization, (3 the volatility change and number of oxygen atoms added for each generation of aging, (4 heterogeneous chemistry, (5 the oxidation state of the first generation of compounds formed from SOA precursor oxidation, and (6 biogenic SOA aging. Perturbations in most of these parameters do impact the ability of the model to predict O:C well throughout the simulation period. By comparing measurements of the O:C from FAME-08, several sensitivity cases including a high oxygenation case, a low oxygenation case, and biogenic SOA aging case are found to unreasonably depict OA aging, keeping in mind that this study does not consider

Effects of ambient oxygen concentration on soot temperature and concentration for biodiesel and diesel spray combustion

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Ji; Jing, Wei; Roberts, William L.; Fang, Tiegang

2015-01-01

during biodiesel and diesel spray combustion. The experiment was implemented in a constant volume chamber system, where the ambient oxygen concentration varied from 21 to 10% and the ambient temperature was kept to 1,000 K. A high speed two-color

The hygroscopicity parameter (κ) of ambient organic aerosol at a field site subject to biogenic and anthropogenic influences: relationship to degree of aerosol oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, R. Y.-W.; Slowik, J. G.; Shantz, N. C.; Vlasenko, A.; Liggio, J.; Sjostedt, S. J.; Leaitch, W. R.; Abbatt, J. P. D.

2010-06-01

Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations were measured at Egbert, a rural site in Ontario, Canada during the spring of 2007. The CCN concentrations were compared to values predicted from the aerosol chemical composition and size distribution using κ-Köhler theory, with the specific goal of this work being to determine the hygroscopic parameter (κ) of the oxygenated organic component of the aerosol, assuming that oxygenation drives the hygroscopicity for the entire organic fraction of the aerosol. The hygroscopicity of the oxygenated fraction of the organic component, as determined by an Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), was characterised by two methods. First, positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to separate oxygenated and unoxygenated organic aerosol factors. By assuming that the unoxygenated factor is completely non-hygroscopic and by varying κ of the oxygenated factor so that the predicted and measured CCN concentrations are internally consistent and in good agreement, κ of the oxygenated organic factor was found to be 0.22±0.04 for the suite of measurements made during this five-week campaign. In a second, equivalent approach, we continue to assume that the unoxygenated component of the aerosol, with a mole ratio of atomic oxygen to atomic carbon (O/C) ≈ 0, is completely non-hygroscopic, and we postulate a simple linear relationship between κorg and O/C. Under these assumptions, the κ of the entire organic component for bulk aerosols measured by the AMS can be parameterised as κorg=(0.29±0.05)·(O/C), for the range of O/C observed in this study (0.3 to 0.6). These results are averaged over our five-week study at one location using only the AMS for composition analysis. Empirically, our measurements are consistent with κorg generally increasing with increasing particle oxygenation, but high uncertainties preclude us from testing this hypothesis. Lastly, we examine select periods of different aerosol composition, corresponding

Cloud Processing of Gases and Aerosols in Air Quality Modeling

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Leiming Zhang

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The representations of cloud processing of gases and aerosols in some of the current state-of-the-art regional air quality models in North America and Europe are reviewed. Key processes reviewed include aerosol activation (or nucleation scavenging of aerosols, aqueous-phase chemistry, and wet deposition/removal of atmospheric tracers. It was found that models vary considerably in the parameterizations or algorithms used in representing these processes. As an emerging area of research, the current understanding of the uptake of water soluble organics by cloud droplets and the potential aqueous-phase reaction pathways leading to the atmospheric secondary organic aerosol (SOA formation is also reviewed. Sensitivity tests using the AURAMS model have been conducted in order to assess the impact on modeled regional particulate matter (PM from: (1 the different aerosol activation schemes, (2 the different below-cloud particle scavenging algorithms, and (3 the inclusion of cloud processing of water soluble organics as a potential pathway for the formation of atmospheric SOA. It was found that the modeled droplet number concentrations and ambient PM size distributions were strongly affected by the use of different aerosol activation schemes. The impact on the modeled average ambient PM mass concentration was found to be limited in terms of averaged PM2.5 concentration (~a few percents but more significant in terms of PM1.0 (up to 10 percents. The modeled ambient PM was found to be moderately sensitive to the below-cloud particle scavenging algorithms, with relative differences up to 10% and 20% in terms of PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, when using the two different algorithms for the scavenging coefficient (Λ corresponding to the lower and upper bounds in the parameterization for Λ. The model simulation with the additional cloud uptake and processing of water-soluble organic gases was shown to improve the evaluation statistics for modeled PM2.5 OA

Chemical speciation, transport and contribution of biomass burning smoke to ambient aerosol in Guangzhou, a mega city of China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhisheng; Engling, Guenter; Lin, Chuan-Yao; Chou, Charles C.-K.; Lung, Shih-Chun C.; Chang, Shih-Yu; Fan, Shaojia; Chan, Chuen-Yu; Zhang, Yuan-Hang

2010-08-01

Intensive measurements of aerosol (PM 10) and associated water-soluble ionic and carbonaceous species were conducted in Guangzhou, a mega city of China, during summer 2006. Elevated levels of most chemical species were observed especially at nighttime during two episodes, characterized by dramatic build-up of the biomass burning tracers levoglucosan and non-sea-salt potassium, when the prevailing wind direction had changed due to two approaching tropical cyclones. High-resolution air mass back trajectories based on the MM5 model revealed that air masses with high concentrations of levoglucosan (43-473 ng m -3) and non-sea-salt potassium (0.83-3.2 μg m -3) had passed over rural regions of the Pearl River Delta and Guangdong Province, where agricultural activities and field burning of crop residues are common practices. The relative contributions of biomass burning smoke to organic carbon in PM 10 were estimated from levoglucosan data to be on average 7.0 and 14% at daytime and nighttime, respectively, with maxima of 9.7 and 32% during the episodic transport events, indicating that biomass and biofuel burning activities in the rural parts of the Pearl River Delta and neighboring regions could have a significant impact on ambient urban aerosol levels.

Measurement and analysis of the concentration and size distribution of aerosols in a copper mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Dehong; Zhuo Weihai; Huang Gang; Su Xu; Sun Quanfu

2008-01-01

Objective: To explore the general characteristics of the concentration and size distribution of aerosols in a mine. Methods: In different areas of a non-uranium mine, the particle number and mass concentration of aerosols were surveyed with a condensation particle counter and a personal aerosol monitor, respectively, and the size distribution of aerosols larger than 1 μm in size was estimated according to the size- selective measurements of mass concentrations. The size distribution of submicron aerosols was evaluated based on the method of screen diffusion battery (SOB), and the measurements were performed in both inside and outside of a control room. Results: The mass concentration of inhaled particles (PM10) was averaged to be 0.42 mg/m 3 in the whole mine, and it varied with different working areas and significantly affected with human activities. In the mine, particles lager than 1 μm in size widely distributed, while the particles less than 5 nm in size were seldom observed. Conclusions: The characteristics of aerosol significantly change with different working areas, human activities and Antilation condition in mine. The dose contribution from inhaled radioactive particles larger than 1 μm in size should be considered in mine. (authors)

Characterization of ambient aerosols in Mexico City during the MCMA-2003 campaign with Aerosol Mass Spectrometry: results from the CENICA Supersite

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D. Salcedo

2006-01-01

Full Text Available An Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS was deployed at the CENICA Supersite, during the Mexico City Metropolitan Area field study (MCMA-2003 from 31 March-4 May 2003 to investigate particle concentrations, sources, and processes. The AMS provides real time information on mass concentration and composition of the non-refractory species in particulate matter less than 1 µm (NR-PM1 with high time and size-resolution. In order to account for the refractory material in the aerosol, we also present estimates of Black Carbon (BC using an aethalometer and an estimate of the aerosol soil component obtained from Proton-Induced X-ray Emission Spectrometry (PIXE analysis of impactor substrates. Comparisons of AMS + BC + soil mass concentration with other collocated particle instruments (a LASAIR Optical Particle Counter, a PM2.5 Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM, and a PM2.5 DustTrak Aerosol Monitor show that the AMS + BC + soil mass concentration is consistent with the total PM2.5 mass concentration during MCMA-2003 within the combined uncertainties. In Mexico City, the organic fraction of the estimated PM2.5 at CENICA represents, on average, 54.6% (standard deviation σ=10% of the mass, with the rest consisting of inorganic compounds (mainly ammonium nitrate and sulfate/ammonium salts, BC, and soil. Inorganic compounds represent 27.5% of PM2.5 (σ=10%; BC mass concentration is about 11% (σ=4%; while soil represents about 6.9% (σ=4%. Size distributions are presented for the AMS species; they show an accumulation mode that contains mainly oxygenated organic and secondary inorganic compounds. The organic size distributions also contain a small organic particle mode that is likely indicative of fresh traffic emissions; small particle modes exist for the inorganic species as well. Evidence suggests that the organic and inorganic species are not always internally mixed, especially in the small modes. The aerosol seems to be neutralized most

The Impact of Aerosol Particle Mixing State on the Hygroscopicity of Sea Spray Aerosol.

Science.gov (United States)

Schill, Steven R; Collins, Douglas B; Lee, Christopher; Morris, Holly S; Novak, Gordon A; Prather, Kimberly A; Quinn, Patricia K; Sultana, Camille M; Tivanski, Alexei V; Zimmermann, Kathryn; Cappa, Christopher D; Bertram, Timothy H

2015-06-24

Aerosol particles influence global climate by determining cloud droplet number concentrations, brightness, and lifetime. Primary aerosol particles, such as those produced from breaking waves in the ocean, display large particle-particle variability in chemical composition, morphology, and physical phase state, all of which affect the ability of individual particles to accommodate water and grow into cloud droplets. Despite such diversity in molecular composition, there is a paucity of methods available to assess how particle-particle variability in chemistry translates to corresponding differences in aerosol hygroscopicity. Here, an approach has been developed that allows for characterization of the distribution of aerosol hygroscopicity within a chemically complex population of atmospheric particles. This methodology, when applied to the interpretation of nascent sea spray aerosol, provides a quantitative framework for connecting results obtained using molecular mimics generated in the laboratory with chemically complex ambient aerosol. We show that nascent sea spray aerosol, generated in situ in the Atlantic Ocean, displays a broad distribution of particle hygroscopicities, indicative of a correspondingly broad distribution of particle chemical compositions. Molecular mimics of sea spray aerosol organic material were used in the laboratory to assess the volume fractions and molecular functionality required to suppress sea spray aerosol hygroscopicity to the extent indicated by field observations. We show that proper accounting for the distribution and diversity in particle hygroscopicity and composition are important to the assessment of particle impacts on clouds and global climate.

Laboratory and field based evaluation of chromatography related performance of the Monitor for AeRosols and Gases in ambient Air (MARGA)

Science.gov (United States)

The semi-continuous Monitor for AeRosols and Gases in Ambient air (MARGA) was evaluated using laboratory and field data with a focus on chromatography. The performance and accuracy assessment revealed various errors and uncertainties resulting from mis-identification and mis-int...

Drivers of Seasonal Variability in Marine Boundary Layer Aerosol Number Concentration Investigated Using a Steady State Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Mohrmann, Johannes; Wood, Robert; McGibbon, Jeremy; Eastman, Ryan; Luke, Edward

2018-01-01

Marine boundary layer (MBL) aerosol particles affect the climate through their interaction with MBL clouds. Although both MBL clouds and aerosol particles have pronounced seasonal cycles, the factors controlling seasonal variability of MBL aerosol particle concentration are not well constrained. In this paper an aerosol budget is constructed representing the effects of wet deposition, free-tropospheric entrainment, primary surface sources, and advection on the MBL accumulation mode aerosol number concentration (Na). These terms are then parameterized, and by assuming that on seasonal time scales Na is in steady state, the budget equation is rearranged to form a diagnostic equation for Na based on observable variables. Using data primarily collected in the subtropical northeast Pacific during the MAGIC campaign (Marine ARM (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement) GPCI (GCSS Pacific Cross-Section Intercomparison) Investigation of Clouds), estimates of both mean summer and winter Na concentrations are made using the simplified steady state model and seasonal mean observed variables. These are found to match well with the observed Na. To attribute the modeled difference between summer and winter aerosol concentrations to individual observed variables (e.g., precipitation rate and free-tropospheric aerosol number concentration), a local sensitivity analysis is combined with the seasonal difference in observed variables. This analysis shows that despite wintertime precipitation frequency being lower than summer, the higher winter precipitation rate accounted for approximately 60% of the modeled seasonal difference in Na, which emphasizes the importance of marine stratocumulus precipitation in determining MBL aerosol concentrations on longer time scales.

The first estimates of global nucleation mode aerosol concentrations based on satellite measurements

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M. Kulmala

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric aerosols play a key role in the Earth's climate system by scattering and absorbing solar radiation and by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. Satellites are increasingly used to obtain information on properties of aerosol particles with a diameter larger than about 100 nm. However, new aerosol particles formed by nucleation are initially much smaller and grow into the optically active size range on time scales of many hours. In this paper we derive proxies, based on process understanding and ground-based observations, to determine the concentrations of these new particles and their spatial distribution using satellite data. The results are applied to provide seasonal variation of nucleation mode concentration. The proxies describe the concentration of nucleation mode particles over continents. The source rates are related to both regional nucleation and nucleation associated with more restricted sources. The global pattern of nucleation mode particle number concentration predicted by satellite data using our proxies is compared qualitatively against both observations and global model simulations.

Photochemical aging of aerosol particles in different air masses arriving at Baengnyeong Island, Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Eunha; Lee, Meehye; Brune, William H.; Lee, Taehyoung; Park, Taehyun; Ahn, Joonyoung; Shang, Xiaona

2018-05-01

Atmospheric aerosol particles are a serious health risk, especially in regions like East Asia. We investigated the photochemical aging of ambient aerosols using a potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor at Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea during 4-12 August 2011. The size distributions and chemical compositions of aerosol particles were measured alternately every 6 min from the ambient air or through the highly oxidizing environment of a potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor. Particle size and chemical composition were measured by using the combination of a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). Inside the PAM reactor, O3 and OH levels were equivalent to 4.6 days of integrated OH exposure at typical atmospheric conditions. Two types of air masses were distinguished on the basis of the chemical composition and the degree of aging: air transported from China, which was more aged with a higher sulfate concentration and O : C ratio, and the air transported across the Korean Peninsula, which was less aged with more organics than sulfate and a lower O : C ratio. For both episodes, the particulate sulfate mass concentration increased in the 200-400 nm size range when sampled through the PAM reactor. A decrease in organics was responsible for the loss of mass concentration in 100-200 nm particles when sampled through the PAM reactor for the organics-dominated episode. This loss was especially evident for the m/z 43 component, which represents less oxidized organics. The m/z 44 component, which represents further oxidized organics, increased with a shift toward larger sizes for both episodes. It is not possible to quantify the maximum possible organic mass concentration for either episode because only one OH exposure of 4.6 days was used, but it is clear that SO2 was a primary precursor of secondary aerosol in northeast Asia, especially during long-range transport from China. In addition

Experimental Characterization and Hygroscopicity Determination of Secondary Aerosol from D5 Cyclic Siloxane Oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Stanier, C. O.; Janechek, N. J.; Bryngelson, N.; Marek, R. F.; Lersch, T.; Bunker, K.; Casuccio, G.; Brune, W. H.; Hornbuckle, K. C.

2017-12-01

Cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes are anthropogenic chemicals present in personal care products such as antiperspirants and lotions. These are volatile chemicals that are readily released into the atmosphere by product use. Due to their emission and relatively slow kinetics of their major transformation pathway, reaction with hydroxyl radicals (OH), these compounds are present in high concentrations in indoor environments and widespread in outdoor environments. Cyclic siloxane reaction with OH can lead to secondary organic aerosols, and due to the widespread prevalence of the parent compounds, may be an important source of ambient aerosols. Atmospheric aerosols have important influences to the climate by affecting the radiative balance and by serving as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) which influence clouds. While the parent compounds have been well-studied, the oxidation products have received much less attention, with almost no ambient measurements or experimental physical property data. We report physical properties of aerosols generated by reacting the cyclic siloxane D5 with OH using a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) photochemical chamber. The particles were characterized by SMPS, imaging and elemental analysis using both Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy systems (TEM-EDS and STEM-EDS), volatility measurements using Volatility Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (V-TDMA), and hygroscopicity measurements to determine CCN potential using a Droplet Measurement Technologies Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (DMT-CCN). Aerosol yield sensitivity to D5 and OH concentrations, residence time, and seed aerosols were analyzed. TEM-EDS and STEM-EDS analysis show spherical particle morphology with elemental composition consistent with aerosols derived from cyclic siloxane sources. Measured aerosol yields were 20-50% with typical aerosol concentrations 300,000 particles cm-3, up to

Effects of SO2 oxidation on ambient aerosol growth in water and ethanol vapours

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Petäjä

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Hygroscopicity (i.e. water vapour affinity of atmospheric aerosol particles is one of the key factors in defining their impacts on climate. Condensation of sulphuric acid onto less hygroscopic particles is expected to increase their hygrocopicity and hence their cloud condensation nuclei formation potential. In this study, differences in the hygroscopic and ethanol uptake properties of ultrafine aerosol particles in the Arctic air masses with a different exposure to anthropogenic sulfur pollution were examined. The main discovery was that Aitken mode particles having been exposed to polluted air were more hygroscopic and less soluble to ethanol than after transport in clean air. This aging process was attributed to sulphur dioxide oxidation and subsequent condensation during the transport of these particle to our measurement site. The hygroscopicity of nucleation mode aerosol particles, on the other hand, was approximately the same in all the cases, being indicative of a relatively similar chemical composition despite the differences in air mass transport routes. These particles had also been produced closer to the observation site typically 3–8 h prior to sampling. Apparently, these particles did not have an opportunity to accumulate sulphuric acid on their way to the site, but instead their chemical composition (hygroscopicity and ethanol solubility resembled that of particles produced in the local or semi-regional ambient conditions.

Sources of ambient concentrations and chemical composition of PM 2.5-0.1 in Cork Harbour, Ireland

Science.gov (United States)

Hellebust, S.; Allanic, A.; O'Connor, I. P.; Jourdan, C.; Healy, D.; Sodeau, J. R.

2010-02-01

Particulate matter (PM 10-2.5 and PM 2.5-0.1) has been collected over a period of one year in Cork Harbour, Ireland, using a high-volume cascade impactor and polyurethane foam collection substrate. Collected PM 2.5-0.1 was analysed for water-soluble inorganic ions and metal content using ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. On average approximately 50% by mass of the chemical content of PM was identified. The motivation for the study was to assess the potential impact of shipping emissions on air quality in Cork Harbour and City, with a view to informing public health impacts. The average ambient concentration of PM 10 between May 2007 and April 2008 was 4.6 µgm - 3 and the maximum concentration measured in one sample, representing a 4 day collection period, was 16 µgm - 3 . The major inorganic constituents identified in PM collected in Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour were sulfate, ammonium, nitrate, chloride and sodium ions, which were mainly attributable to sea salt and secondary inorganic aerosols from regional sources. The results were analysed by principal component analysis for the purpose of source apportionment. Four factors were identified explaining over 80% of the data set variance. The factors were: shipping, sea salt, crustal material and secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA). The smaller size fraction was frequently observed to dominate, as the average concentration was 2.77 µgm - 3 for PM 2.5-0.1 compared to 1.9 µgm - 3 for PM 10-2.5. Fresh ship plumes were not found to make a significant contribution to primary PM 2.5-0.1 concentrations adjacent to the shipping channel. However, this was partially attributed to the ultrafine nature of ship emissions and the majority of the toxic metal content was attributed to emissions associated with heavy oil combustion sources, which include ship engines.

Identification of amines in wintertime ambient particulate material using high resolution aerosol mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Bottenus, Courtney L. H.; Massoli, Paola; Sueper, Donna; Canagaratna, Manjula R.; VanderSchelden, Graham; Jobson, B. Thomas; VanReken, Timothy M.

2018-05-01

Significant amounts of amines were detected in fine particulate matter (PM) during ambient wintertime conditions in Yakima, WA, using a high resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). Positive matrix factorization (PMF) of the organic aerosol (OA) signal resulted in a six-factor solution that included two previously unreported amine OA factors. The contributions of the amine factors were strongly episodic, but the concentration of the combined amine factors was as high as 10-15 μg m-3 (2-min average) during those episodes. In one occasion, the Amine-II component was 45% of total OA signal. The Amine-I factor was dominated by spectral peaks at m/z 86 (C5H12N+) and m/z 100 (C6H14N+), while the Amine-II factor was dominated by spectral peaks at m/z 58 (C3H8N+ and C2H6N2+) and m/z 72 (C4H10N+ and C3H8N2+). The ions dominating each amine factor showed distinct time traces, suggesting different sources or formation processes. Investigation into the chemistry of the amine factors suggests a correlation with inorganic anions for Amine-I, but no evidence that the Amine-II was being neutralized by the same inorganic ions. We also excluded the presence of organonitrates (ON) in the OA. The presence of C2H4O2+ at m/z 60 (a levoglucosan fragment) in the Amine-I spectrum suggests some influence of biomass burning emissions (more specifically residential wood combustion) in this PMF factor, but wind direction suggested that the most likely sources of these amines were agricultural activities and feedlots to the S-SW of the site.

Proof of the chemical composition of environmental aerosols with aid of spectroscopic methods and neutron activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rettenmoser, T.

1999-01-01

Comparing the results obtained at the three sites, the following conclusions can be drawn: The total mass concentration is significantly enhanced in the city of Salzburg. Moreover, it is higher in the rural area than in the small town; this is caused by the existence of relatively large biogenic aerosols in ambient air. However, the mass concentration distribution is greater in the small town than in the countryside, because the above mentioned aerosols of biological origin may be too big to be registered by the used instruments. Here the biggest values were again found in the city. The total activity concentration is approximately the same in the city and the small town (provided that climatic conditions were similar). Unfortunately, no corresponding measurements were made in the rural area. The activity concentration distributions are again comparable in the city and the small town. In the rural area, on the other hand, the measured values are slightly higher due to geological reasons. Finally the particle concentration distributions are similar in the small town and the rural area, while the corresponding value is slightly higher in the city. It should be noted, however, that the measuring device used in this study is slightly inaccurate in the range of the small size fractions (which are of particular importance for anthropogenic aerosols). Because of the difficulties described in the measurement section, no comparison of the elemental composition of the ambient aerosols could be made. (author)

Impacts of interannual variation of the East Asian winter monsoon on aerosol concentrations over eastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, J.; Liao, H.; Li, J.; Feng, J.

2012-04-01

China has been experiencing increased concentrations of aerosols, commonly attributed to the large increases in emissions associated with the rapid economic development. We apply a global three-dimensional Goddard Earth Observing System chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) driven by the NASA/GEOS-4 assimilated meteorological data to quantify the impacts of East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) on the aerosol concentrations over eastern China. We found that the simulated aerosol concentrations over eastern China have strong interannual variation and negative correlations with the strength of EAWM. Model results show that, accounting for sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, black carbon, and organic carbon aerosols, the winter surface layer PM2.5 concentration averaged over eastern China (110°-125°E, 20°-45°N) can be 17.97% (4.78 µg m-3) higher in the weak monsoon years than that in the strong monsoon years. Regionally, the weakening of EAWM is shown to be able to increase PM2.5 concentration in the middle and lower reach of the Yellow River by 12 µg m-3. This point indicates that climate change associated with variation of EAWM has an essential influence on worsening air quality over eastern China. The possible causes of higher aerosol concentrations in the weak monsoon years may be attributed to the changing in wind fields and planetary boundary layer height between the weak and strong monsoon years. Sensitivity studies are performed to identify the role of chemical reaction associated with temperature and humidity on the higher aerosol concentrations in the weak monsoon years over eastern China.

Influence of indoor microbial aerosol on the welfare of meat ducks.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, G L; Wei, L M; Liu, Y Y; Liu, J Y; Wang, Y; Gao, J; Chai, T J; Cai, Y M

2016-01-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of microbial aerosols on ducks' welfare and provide information on which to establish microbial aerosol concentration standards for poultry. A total of 1800 1-d-old Cherry Valley ducks were randomly divided into 5 groups (A, B, C, D and E) with 360 ducks in each. To obtain objective data, each group had three replications. Different microbial aerosol concentrations in different groups were created by controlling ventilation and bedding cleaning frequency. Group A was the control group and hygienic conditions deteriorated progressively from group B to E. A 6-stage Andersen impactor was used to detect the aerosol concentration of aerobes, fungi, gram-negative bacteria and an AGI-30 microbial air sampler detected endotoxins. Physiological stress was evaluated in the ducks by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) values in serum. To assess the effects of bioaerosol factors, welfare indicators including fluctuating asymmetry (FA), appearance and gait as well as the Lactobacillus caecal concentration were evaluated. The data showed group D had already reached the highest limit of concentration of airborne aerobic bacteria, airborne fungi, airborne gram-negative bacteria and airborne endotoxin. The ducks in this group had significantly increased serum ACTH values and significantly decreased caecal lactobacilli concentration. Furthermore, appearance and gait scores, wing length and overall FA and caecal Lactobacillus concentration in this group were significantly increased at 6 and 8 weeks of age. In conclusion, high concentrations of microbial aerosol adversely affected the welfare of meat ducks. The microbial aerosol values in group D suggest a preliminary upper limit concentration of bioaerosols in ambient air for healthy meat ducks.

Properties of Arctic Aerosol Particles and Residuals of Warm Clouds: Cloud Activation Efficiency and the Aerosol Indirect Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Zelenyuk, A.; Imre, D. G.; Leaitch, R.; Ovchinnikov, M.; Liu, P.; Macdonald, A.; Strapp, W.; Ghan, S. J.; Earle, M. E.

2012-12-01

activation, limiting maximum droplet concentrations Nd = 525 ± 50 cm-3, which is lower than the 750 cm-3 limit found by Leaitch et al. (1986) for mid-latitude continental cloud that had generally larger updraft speeds than the clouds interrogated in Arctic. These findings are important for the aerosol indirect effect, in which increase in aerosol particle number concentrations is expected to result in increase in Nd and decrease in droplet size, leading to increased cloud albedo and potentially lifetimes. Our conclusions point to limited susceptibility to changes in ambient aerosol concentrations, providing simple explanation for the finding of weaker than expected indirect effect. In summary, the data presented here show that Nd increases as the cloud base particle number concentration increases; however, they also show a limit on Nd that is in the range of 500-600 cm-3.

Amazon boundary layer aerosol concentration sustained by vertical transport during rainfall.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jian; Krejci, Radovan; Giangrande, Scott; Kuang, Chongai; Barbosa, Henrique M J; Brito, Joel; Carbone, Samara; Chi, Xuguang; Comstock, Jennifer; Ditas, Florian; Lavric, Jost; Manninen, Hanna E; Mei, Fan; Moran-Zuloaga, Daniel; Pöhlker, Christopher; Pöhlker, Mira L; Saturno, Jorge; Schmid, Beat; Souza, Rodrigo A F; Springston, Stephen R; Tomlinson, Jason M; Toto, Tami; Walter, David; Wimmer, Daniela; Smith, James N; Kulmala, Markku; Machado, Luiz A T; Artaxo, Paulo; Andreae, Meinrat O; Petäjä, Tuukka; Martin, Scot T

2016-11-17

The nucleation of atmospheric vapours is an important source of new aerosol particles that can subsequently grow to form cloud condensation nuclei in the atmosphere. Most field studies of atmospheric aerosols over continents are influenced by atmospheric vapours of anthropogenic origin (for example, ref. 2) and, in consequence, aerosol processes in pristine, terrestrial environments remain poorly understood. The Amazon rainforest is one of the few continental regions where aerosol particles and their precursors can be studied under near-natural conditions, but the origin of small aerosol particles that grow into cloud condensation nuclei in the Amazon boundary layer remains unclear. Here we present aircraft- and ground-based measurements under clean conditions during the wet season in the central Amazon basin. We find that high concentrations of small aerosol particles (with diameters of less than 50 nanometres) in the lower free troposphere are transported from the free troposphere into the boundary layer during precipitation events by strong convective downdrafts and weaker downward motions in the trailing stratiform region. This rapid vertical transport can help to maintain the population of particles in the pristine Amazon boundary layer, and may therefore influence cloud properties and climate under natural conditions.

Reactions and mass spectra of complex particles using Aerosol CIMS

Science.gov (United States)

Hearn, John D.; Smith, Geoffrey D.

2006-12-01

Aerosol chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) is used both on- and off-line for the analysis of complex laboratory-generated and ambient particles. One of the primary advantages of Aerosol CIMS is the low degree of ion fragmentation, making this technique well suited for investigating the reactivity of complex particles. To demonstrate the usefulness of this "soft" ionization, particles generated from meat cooking were reacted with ozone and the composition was monitored as a function of reaction time. Two distinct kinetic regimes were observed with most of the oleic acid in these particles reacting quickly but with 30% appearing to be trapped in the complex mixture. Additionally, detection limits are measured to be sufficiently low (100-200 ng/m3) to detect some of the more abundant constituents in ambient particles, including sulfate, which is measured in real-time at 1.2 [mu]g/m3. To better characterize complex aerosols from a variety of sources, a novel off-line collection method was also developed in which non-volatile and semi-volatile organics are desorbed from particles and concentrated in a cold U-tube. Desorption from the U-tube followed by analysis with Aerosol CIMS revealed significant amounts of nicotine in cigarette smoke and levoglucosan in oak and pine smoke, suggesting that this may be a useful technique for monitoring particle tracer species. Additionally, secondary organic aerosol formed from the reaction of ozone with R-limonene and volatile organics from orange peel were analyzed off-line showing large molecular weight products (m/z > 300 amu) that may indicate the formation of oligomers. Finally, mass spectra of ambient aerosol collected offline reveal a complex mixture of what appears to be highly processed organics, some of which may contain nitrogen.

HSRL-2 aerosol optical measurements and microphysical retrievals vs. airborne in situ measurements during DISCOVER-AQ 2013: an intercomparison study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Sawamura

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We present a detailed evaluation of remotely sensed aerosol microphysical properties obtained from an advanced, multi-wavelength high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL-2 during the 2013 NASA DISCOVER-AQ field campaign. Vertically resolved retrievals of fine-mode aerosol number, surface-area, and volume concentration as well as aerosol effective radius are compared to 108 collocated, airborne in situ measurement profiles in the wintertime San Joaquin Valley, California, and in summertime Houston, Texas. An algorithm for relating the dry in situ aerosol properties to those obtained by the HSRL at ambient relative humidity is discussed. We show that the HSRL-2 retrievals of ambient fine-mode aerosol surface-area and volume concentrations agree with the in situ measurements to within 25 and 10 %, respectively, once hygroscopic growth adjustments have been applied to the dry in situ data. Despite this excellent agreement for the microphysical properties, extinction and backscatter coefficients at ambient relative humidity derived from the in situ aerosol measurements using Mie theory are consistently smaller than those measured by the HSRL, with average differences of 31 ± 5 % and 53 ± 11 % for California and Texas, respectively. This low bias in the in situ estimates is attributed to the presence of coarse-mode aerosol that are detected by HSRL-2 but that are too large to be well sampled by the in situ instrumentation. Since the retrieval of aerosol volume is most relevant to current regulatory efforts targeting fine particle mass (PM2. 5, these findings highlight the advantages of an advanced 3β + 2α HSRL for constraining the vertical distribution of the aerosol volume or mass loading relevant for air quality.

Evidence for the role of organics in aerosol particle formation under atmospheric conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metzger, A.; Dommen, J.; Duplissy, J.; Prevot, A.S.H.; Weingartner, E.; Baltensperger, U.; Verheggen, B.; Riipinen, I.; Kulmala, M.; Spracklen, D.V.; Carslaw, K.S.

2010-01-01

New particle formation in the atmosphere is an important parameter in governing the radiative forcing of atmospheric aerosols. However, detailed nucleation mechanisms remain ambiguous, as laboratory data have so far not been successful in explaining atmospheric nucleation. We investigated the formation of new particles in a smog chamber simulating the photochemical formation of H2SO4 and organic condensable species. Nucleation occurs at H2SO4 concentrations similar to those found in the ambient atmosphere during nucleation events. The measured particle formation rates are proportional to the product of the concentrations of H2SO4 and an organic molecule. This suggests that only one H2SO4 molecule and one organic molecule are involved in the rate-limiting step of the observed nucleation process. Parameterizing this process in a global aerosol model results in substantially better agreement with ambient observations compared to control runs.

Water content of aged aerosol

OpenAIRE

G. J. Engelhart; L. Hildebrandt; E. Kostenidou; N. Mihalopoulos; N. M. Donahue; S. N. Pandis

2010-01-01

The composition and physical properties of aged atmospheric aerosol were characterized at a remote sampling site on the northern coast of Crete, Greece during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment in May 2008 (FAME-2008). A reduced Dry-Ambient Aerosol Size Spectrometer (DAASS) was deployed to measure the aerosol water content and volumetric growth factor of fine particulate matter. The particles remained wet even at relative humidity (RH) as low as 20%. The aerosol was acidic during mo...

Estimate of biogenic VOC emissions in Japan and their effects on photochemical formation of ambient ozone and secondary organic aerosol

Science.gov (United States)

Chatani, Satoru; Matsunaga, Sou N.; Nakatsuka, Seiji

2015-11-01

A new gridded database has been developed to estimate the amount of isoprene, monoterpene, and sesquiterpene emitted from all the broadleaf and coniferous trees in Japan with the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN). This database reflects the vegetation specific to Japan more accurately than existing ones. It estimates much lower isoprene emitted from other vegetation than trees, and higher sesquiterpene emissions mainly emitted from Cryptomeria japonica, which is the most abundant plant type in Japan. Changes in biogenic emissions result in the decrease in ambient ozone and increase in organic aerosol simulated by the air quality simulation over the Tokyo Metropolitan Area in Japan. Although newly estimated biogenic emissions contribute to a better model performance on overestimated ozone and underestimated organic aerosol, they are not a single solution to solve problems associated with the air quality simulation.

Study of atmospheric aerosol by means of nuclear techniques with accelerator at LABEC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calzolai, G.

2011-01-01

The atmospheric aerosols, despite their tiny concentration in the air, have a relevant impact on a wide range of issues, spanning from the local to the global scale. Many epidemiologic studies on human exposures to ambient particulate matter have clearly established a statistically significant correlation between fine-particles concentration in the air and health effects. Moreover, increasing interest originates by the role of aerosols in climate change, and in particular in global warming and changes in hydrological cycles. Nuclear techniques have been demonstrated to be an effective tool for aerosol study. In particular, the IBA (Ion Beam Analysis) techniques may allow the detection of all the elements present in the aerosol samples. Radiocarbon measurements, performed by AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry), can give fundamental information about the sources of the aerosol carbonaceous fraction. Without claiming to be exhaustive, a brief description of the role of these techniques in the aerosol study is given in the present paper, with a special attention to their application at the INFN-LABEC laboratory of Florence.

Characterization of PM2.5 particles originating from a modern waste incineration plant by factor analysis of chemical data, mass and black carbon in ambient aerosol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aboh, J. K.; Henriksson, Dag; Laursen, Jens

2006-01-01

are subject to restrictions are well below the allowed limits as stated by Swedish and European standards. The aim of the present work is to study the particle pollutants with emphasis on PM2.5 in the ambient air and to identify the specific contribution from the new incineration plant. Many different sources...... contribute to PM2.5 in urban air. Thus, the general problem is to characterise and identify the particle pollution, which can be attributed to gases and/or particles emitted by the waste incineration plant. For this reason aerosol samples, PM2.5, were collected and analyzed for concentrations of twenty...

Secondary organic aerosol formation through fog processing of VOCs

Science.gov (United States)

Herckes, P.; Hutchings, J. W.

2010-07-01

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) have been determined in highly concentrated amounts (>1 ug/L) in intercepted clouds in northern Arizona (USA). These VOCs are found in concentrations much higher than predicted by partitioning alone. The reactivity of BTEX in the fog/cloud aqueous phase was investigated through laboratory studies. BTEX species showed fast degradation in the aqueous phase in the presence of peroxides and light. Observed half-lives ranged from three and six hours, substantially shorter than the respective gas phase half-lives (several days). The observed reaction rates were on the order of 1 ppb/min but decreased substantially with increasing concentrations of organic matter (TOC). The products of BTEX oxidation reactions were analyzed using HPLC-UV and LCMS. The first generation of products identified included phenol and cresols which correspond to the hydroxyl-addition reaction to benzene and toluene. Upon investigating of multi-generational products, smaller, less volatile species are predominant although a large variety of products is found. Most reaction products have substantially lower vapor pressure and will remain in the particle phase upon droplet evaporation. The SOA generation potential of cloud and fog processing of BTEX was evaluated using simple calculations and showed that in ideal situations these reactions could add up to 9% of the ambient aerosol mass. In more conservative scenarios, the contribution of the processing of BTEX was around 1% of ambient aerosol concentrations. Overall, cloud processing of VOC has the potential to contribute to the atmospheric aerosol mass. However, the contribution will depend upon many factors such as the irradiation, organic matter content in the droplets and droplet lifetime.

An assessment of the performance of the Monitor for AeRosols and GAses in ambient air (MARGA): a semi-continuous method for soluble compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Rumsey, I. C.; Cowen, K. A.; Walker, J. T.; Kelly, T. J.; Hanft, E. A.; Mishoe, K.; Rogers, C.; Proost, R.; Beachley, G. M.; Lear, G.; Frelink, T.; Otjes, R. P.

2014-06-01

Ambient air monitoring as part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (US EPA's) Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNet) currently uses filter packs to measure weekly integrated concentrations. The US EPA is interested in supplementing CASTNet with semi-continuous monitoring systems at select sites to characterize atmospheric chemistry and deposition of nitrogen and sulfur compounds at higher time resolution than the filter pack. The Monitor for AeRosols and GAses in ambient air (MARGA) measures water-soluble gases and aerosols at an hourly temporal resolution. The performance of the MARGA was assessed under the US EPA Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program. The assessment was conducted in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, from 8 September to 8 October 2010 and focused on gaseous SO2, HNO3, and NH3 and aerosol SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+. Precision of the MARGA was evaluated by calculating the median absolute relative percent difference (MARPD) between paired hourly results from duplicate MARGA units (MUs), with a performance goal of ≤ 25%. The accuracy of the MARGA was evaluated by calculating the MARPD for each MU relative to the average of the duplicate denuder/filter pack concentrations, with a performance goal of ≤ 40%. Accuracy was also evaluated by using linear regression, where MU concentrations were plotted against the average of the duplicate denuder/filter pack concentrations. From this, a linear least squares line of best fit was applied. The goal was for the slope of the line of best fit to be between 0.8 and 1.2. The MARGA performed well in comparison to the denuder/filter pack for SO2, SO42-, and NH4+, with all three compounds passing the accuracy and precision goals by a significant margin. The performance of the MARGA in measuring NO3- could not be evaluated due to the different sampling efficiency of coarse NO3- by the MUs and the filter pack. Estimates of "fine" NO3- were calculated for the MUs and the filter pack

Laboratory and field measurements of organic aerosols with the photoionization aerosol mass spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Dreyfus, Matthew A.

Analytical methods developed to sample and characterize ambient organic aerosols often face the trade-off between long sampling times and the loss of detailed information regarding specific chemical species present. The soft, universal ionization scheme of the Photoionization Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (PIAMS) allows for identification of various chemical compounds by a signature ion, often the molecular ion. The goal of this thesis work is to apply PIAMS to both laboratory and field experiments to answer questions regarding the formation, composition, and behavior of organic aerosols. To achieve this goal, a variety of hardware and software upgrades were administered to PIAMS to optimize the instrument. Data collection and processing software were either refined or built from the ground up to simplify difficult or monotonous tasks. Additional components were added to PIAMS with the intent to automate the instrument, enhance the results, and make the instrument more rugged and user-friendly. These changes, combined with the application of an external particle concentration system (mini-Versatile Aerosol Concentration Enrichment System, m-VACES), allowed PIAMS to be suitable for field measurements of organic aerosols. Two such field campaigns were completed, both at the State of Delaware Air Quality Monitoring Site in Wilmington, Delaware: a one week period in June, 2006, and an 18 day period in October and November of 2007. A sampling method developed was capable of collecting sufficient ambient organic aerosol and analyzing it with a time resolution of 3.5 minutes. Because of this method, short term concentration changes of individual species can be tracked. Combined with meteorological data, the behavior of these species can be analyzed as a function of time or wind direction. Many compounds are found at enhanced levels during the evening/night-time hours; potentially due to the combined effects of temperature inversion, and fresh emissions in a cooler environment

Development of an aerosol decontamination factor evaluation method using an aerosol spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanai, Taizo; Furuya, Masahiro; Arai, Takahiro; Nishi, Yoshihisa

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Aerosol DF of each diameter is evaluable by using optical scattering method. • Outlet aerosol concentration shows exponential decay by the submergence. • This decay constant depends on the aerosol diameter. • Aerosol DF at water scrubber is described by simple equation. - Abstract: During a severe nuclear power plant accident, the release of fission products into containment and an increase in containment pressure are assumed to be possible. When the containment is damaged by excess pressure or temperature, radioactive materials are released. Pressure suppression pools, containment spray systems and a filtered containment venting system (FCVS) reduce containment pressure and reduce the radioactive release into the environment. These devices remove radioactive materials via various mechanisms. Pressure suppression pools remove radioactive materials by pool scrubbing. Spray systems remove radioactive materials by droplet−aerosol interaction. FCVS, which is installed in the exhaust system, comprises multi-scrubbers (venturi-scrubber, pool scrubbing, static mixer, metal−fiber filter and molecular sieve). For the particulate radioactive materials, its size affects the removal performance and a number of studies have been performed on the removal effect of radioactive materials. This study has developed a new means of evaluating aerosol removal efficiency. The aerosol number density of each effective diameter (light scattering equivalent diameter) is measured using an optical method, while the decontamination factor (DF) of each effective diameter is evaluated by the inlet outlet number density ratio. While the applicable scope is limited to several conditions (geometry of test section: inner diameter 500 mm × height 8.0 m, nozzle shape and air-water ambient pressure conditions), this study has developed a numerical model which defines aerosol DF as a function of aerosol diameter (d) and submergences (x).

Development of an aerosol decontamination factor evaluation method using an aerosol spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanai, Taizo, E-mail: t-kanai@criepi.denken.or.jp; Furuya, Masahiro, E-mail: furuya@criepi.denken.or.jp; Arai, Takahiro, E-mail: t-arai@criepi.denken.or.jp; Nishi, Yoshihisa, E-mail: y-nishi@criepi.denken.or.jp

2016-07-15

Highlights: • Aerosol DF of each diameter is evaluable by using optical scattering method. • Outlet aerosol concentration shows exponential decay by the submergence. • This decay constant depends on the aerosol diameter. • Aerosol DF at water scrubber is described by simple equation. - Abstract: During a severe nuclear power plant accident, the release of fission products into containment and an increase in containment pressure are assumed to be possible. When the containment is damaged by excess pressure or temperature, radioactive materials are released. Pressure suppression pools, containment spray systems and a filtered containment venting system (FCVS) reduce containment pressure and reduce the radioactive release into the environment. These devices remove radioactive materials via various mechanisms. Pressure suppression pools remove radioactive materials by pool scrubbing. Spray systems remove radioactive materials by droplet−aerosol interaction. FCVS, which is installed in the exhaust system, comprises multi-scrubbers (venturi-scrubber, pool scrubbing, static mixer, metal−fiber filter and molecular sieve). For the particulate radioactive materials, its size affects the removal performance and a number of studies have been performed on the removal effect of radioactive materials. This study has developed a new means of evaluating aerosol removal efficiency. The aerosol number density of each effective diameter (light scattering equivalent diameter) is measured using an optical method, while the decontamination factor (DF) of each effective diameter is evaluated by the inlet outlet number density ratio. While the applicable scope is limited to several conditions (geometry of test section: inner diameter 500 mm × height 8.0 m, nozzle shape and air-water ambient pressure conditions), this study has developed a numerical model which defines aerosol DF as a function of aerosol diameter (d) and submergences (x).

An experimental technique for the direct measurement of N2O5 reactivity on ambient particles

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T. H. Bertram

2009-06-01

Full Text Available An experimental approach for the direct measurement of trace gas reactivity on ambient aerosol particles has been developed. The method utilizes a newly designed entrained aerosol flow reactor coupled to a custom-built chemical ionization mass spectrometer. The experimental method is described via application to the measurement of the N2O5 reaction probability, γ (N2O5. Laboratory investigations on well characterized aerosol particles show that measurements of γ (N2O5 observed with this technique are in agreement with previous observations, using conventional flow tube methods, to within ±20% at atmospherically relevant particle surface area concentrations (0–1000 μm2 cm−3. Uncertainty in the measured γ (N2O5 is discussed in the context of fluctuations in potential ambient biases (e.g., temperature, relative humidity and trace gas loadings. Under ambient operating conditions we estimate a single-point uncertainty in γ (N2O5 that ranges between ± (1.3×10-2 + 0.2×γ (N2O5, and ± (1.3×10-3 + 0.2×γ (N2O5 for particle surface area concentrations of 100 to 1000 μm2 cm−3, respectively. Examples from both laboratory investigations and field observations are included alongside discussion of future applications for the reactivity measurement and optimal deployment locations and conditions.

Size-resolved mass concentrations of iron oxide aerosols and size-resolved number concentrations of iron oxide aerosols collected from King Air aircraft in Yellow Sea and East China Sea from 2013-02-14 to 2013-03-10 (NCEI Accession 0162201)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains size-resolved mass concentrations of iron oxide aerosols and size-resolved number concentrations of iron oxide aerosols, measured using the...

The impacts of aerosol loading, composition, and water uptake on aerosol extinction variability in the Baltimore–Washington, D.C. region

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A. J. Beyersdorf

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to utilize satellite-based aerosol measurements for the determination of air quality, the relationship between aerosol optical properties (wavelength-dependent, column-integrated extinction measured by satellites and mass measurements of aerosol loading (PM2.5 used for air quality monitoring must be understood. This connection varies with many factors including those specific to the aerosol type – such as composition, size, and hygroscopicity – and to the surrounding atmosphere, such as temperature, relative humidity (RH, and altitude, all of which can vary spatially and temporally. During the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality project, extensive in situ atmospheric profiling in the Baltimore, MD–Washington, D.C. region was performed during 14 flights in July 2011. Identical flight plans and profile locations throughout the project provide meaningful statistics for determining the variability in and correlations between aerosol loading, composition, optical properties, and meteorological conditions. Measured water-soluble aerosol mass was composed primarily of ammonium sulfate (campaign average of 32 % and organics (57 %. A distinct difference in composition was observed, with high-loading days having a proportionally larger percentage of sulfate due to transport from the Ohio River Valley. This composition shift caused a change in the aerosol water-uptake potential (hygroscopicity such that higher relative contributions of inorganics increased the bulk aerosol hygroscopicity. These days also tended to have higher relative humidity, causing an increase in the water content of the aerosol. Conversely, low-aerosol-loading days had lower sulfate and higher black carbon contributions, causing lower single-scattering albedos (SSAs. The average black carbon concentrations were 240 ng m−3 in the lowest 1 km, decreasing to 35�

Size-segregated concentration of heavy metals in an urban aerosol of the Balkans region (Belgrade

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Đorđević D.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This work focuses on the heavy metals contents of the size-segregated urban aerosol of the continental area of Balkans. The distribution of nano/micron heavy metals in the size-segregated urban aerosol of Belgrade center was studied during the summer–autumn of 2008. The particle size distribution in the size ranges Dp ≤ 0.49 μm, 0.49 ≤ Dp ≤ 0.95 μm, 0.95 ≤ Dp ≤ 1.5 μm, 1.5 ≤ Dp ≤ 3.0 μm, 3.0 ≤ Dp ≤ 7.2 μm and Dp ≥ 7.2 μm was measured. The aerosol samples were submitted to gravimetric and chemical analyses. The obtained mean mass concentration of the PM fractions was in accordance with an urban aerosol distribution. The aerosol mass concentrations were determined by gravimetric measurements (mGM and, for heavy metals analyzed by ICP/MS.

Daily and hourly chemical impact of springtime transboundary aerosols on Japanese air quality

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T. Moreno

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The regular eastward drift of transboundary aerosol intrusions from the Asian mainland into the NW Pacific region has a pervasive impact on air quality in Japan, especially during springtime. Analysis of 24-h filter samples with Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES and Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS, and hourly Streaker with Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE samples collected continuously for six weeks reveal the chemistry of successive waves of natural mineral desert dust ("Kosa" and metalliferous sulphatic pollutants arriving in western Japan during spring 2011. The main aerosol sources recognised by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF analysis of Streaker data are mineral dust and fresh sea salt (both mostly in the coarser fraction PM_2.5–10, As-bearing sulphatic aerosol (PM_0.1–2.5, metalliferous sodic particulate matter (PM interpreted as aged, industrially contaminated marine aerosol, and ZnCu-bearing aerosols. Whereas mineral dust arrivals are typically highly transient, peaking over a few hours, sulphatic intrusions build up and decline more slowly, and are accompanied by notable rises in ambient concentrations of metallic trace elements such as Pb, As, Zn, Sn and Cd. The magnitude of the loss in regional air quality due to the spread and persistence of pollution from mainland Asia is especially clear when cleansing oceanic air advects westward across Japan, removing the continental influence and reducing concentrations of the undesirable metalliferous pollutants by over 90%. Our new chemical database, especially the Streaker data, demonstrates the rapidly changing complexity of ambient air inhaled during these transboundary events, and implicates Chinese coal combustion as the main source of the anthropogenic aerosol component.

The concentrations of ambient Burkholderia pseudomallei during typhoon season in endemic area of melioidosis in Taiwan.

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Ya-Lei Chen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Melioidosis is a severe bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei with a high case-fatality rate. Epidemiological and animal studies show the possibility of inhalation transmission. However, no B. pseudomallei concentrations in ambient air have been researched. Here, we developed a method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei and then measured concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei during the typhoon season and the non-typhoon season to determine the factors influencing ambient B. pseudomallei levels. METHODS: We quantified ambient B. pseudomallei by using a filter/real-time qPCR method in the Zoynan Region in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Twenty-four hour samples were collected at a sampling rate of 20 L/min every day from June 11 to December 21, 2012 including during the typhoon season (June to September and reference season (October to December. RESULTS: We successfully developed a filtration/real-time qPCR method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei. Ambient B. pseudomallei were only detected during the typhoon season when compared to the reference season. For the typhoons affecting the Zoynan Region, the positive rates of ambient B. pseudomallei were very high at 80% to 100%. During June to December, rainfall was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei with a statistical significance. Sediment at a nearby pond significantly influenced the concentration of ambient B. pseudomallei. During the typhoon month, the typhoon was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei whereas wind speed was reversely correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest the possibility of transmission of B. pseudomallei via inhalation during the typhoon season.

The concentrations of ambient Burkholderia pseudomallei during typhoon season in endemic area of melioidosis in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ya-Lei; Yen, Yu-Chuan; Yang, Chun-Yuh; Lee, Min Sheng; Ho, Chi-Kung; Mena, Kristina D; Wang, Peng-Yau; Chen, Pei-Shih

2014-01-01

Melioidosis is a severe bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei with a high case-fatality rate. Epidemiological and animal studies show the possibility of inhalation transmission. However, no B. pseudomallei concentrations in ambient air have been researched. Here, we developed a method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei and then measured concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei during the typhoon season and the non-typhoon season to determine the factors influencing ambient B. pseudomallei levels. We quantified ambient B. pseudomallei by using a filter/real-time qPCR method in the Zoynan Region in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Twenty-four hour samples were collected at a sampling rate of 20 L/min every day from June 11 to December 21, 2012 including during the typhoon season (June to September) and reference season (October to December). We successfully developed a filtration/real-time qPCR method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei. Ambient B. pseudomallei were only detected during the typhoon season when compared to the reference season. For the typhoons affecting the Zoynan Region, the positive rates of ambient B. pseudomallei were very high at 80% to 100%. During June to December, rainfall was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei with a statistical significance. Sediment at a nearby pond significantly influenced the concentration of ambient B. pseudomallei. During the typhoon month, the typhoon was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei whereas wind speed was reversely correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei. Our data suggest the possibility of transmission of B. pseudomallei via inhalation during the typhoon season.

Organic aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penner, J.E.

1994-01-01

Organic aerosols scatter solar radiation. They may also either enhance or decrease concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei. This paper summarizes observed concentrations of aerosols in remote continental and marine locations and provides estimates for the sources of organic aerosol matter. The anthropogenic sources of organic aerosols may be as large as the anthropogenic sources of sulfate aerosols, implying a similar magnitude of direct forcing of climate. The source estimates are highly uncertain and subject to revision in the future. A slow secondary source of organic aerosols of unknown origin may contribute to the observed oceanic concentrations. The role of organic aerosols acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) is described and it is concluded that they may either enhance or decrease the ability of anthropogenic sulfate aerosols to act as CCN

Solvent effects on extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient aerosol samples

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Flasch Mira

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs in the ambient particulate matter pose one of the most important issues in the focus of environmental management. The concentration of their representative, Benzo(apyrene (BaP, undergoes limitations according to European Union directive. However, a successful control over the pollution levels and their sources is limited by the high uncertainty of analytical and statistical approaches used for their characterization. Here we compare differences in PAH concentrations related to the use of different solvents in the course of ultrasonic extraction of a certified reference material (PM10-like PAH mixture and filter samples of ambient particulate matter collected in Austria for the CG-MS PAH analysis. Using solvents of increasing polarity: Cyclohexane (0,006, Toluene (0,099, Dichloromethane (0,309, Acetone (0,43 and Acetonitrile (0,460, as well as mixtures of those, filters representing high and low concentrations of particulate matter were investigated. Although some scatter of the obtained concentrations was observed no trend related to the polarity of the solvent became visible. Regarding the reproducibility, which can be expected of PAH analysis no significant difference between the different solvents was determined. This result is valid for all compounds under investigation.

Speciation of Fe in ambient aerosol and cloudwater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siefert, Ronald Lyn [California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

1996-08-15

Atmospheric iron (Fe) is thought to play an important role in cloudwater chemistry (e.g., S(IV) oxidation, oxidant production, etc.), and is also an important source of Fe to certain regions of the worlds oceans where Fe is believed to be a rate-limiting nutrient for primary productivity. This thesis focuses on understanding the chemistry, speciation and abundance of Fe in cloudwater and aerosol in the troposphere, through observations of Fe speciation in the cloudwater and aerosol samples collected over the continental United States and the Arabian Sea. Different chemical species of atmospheric Fe were measured in aerosol and cloudwater samples to help assess the role of Fe in cloudwater chemistry.

Estimation of the Cloud condensation nuclei concentration(CCN) and aerosol optical depth(AOD) relation in the Arctic region

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, C. H.; Yoon, Y. J.; Ahn, S. H.; Kang, H. J.; Gim, Y. T.; Lee, B. Y.

2017-12-01

Information of the spatial and temporal variations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations is important in estimating aerosol indirect effects. Generally, CCN aerosol is difficult to estimate using remote sensing methods. Although there are many CCN measurements data, extensive measurements of CCN are not feasible because of the complex nature of the operation and high cost, especially in the Arctic region. Thus, there have been many attempts to estimate CCN concentrations from more easily obtainable parameters such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) because AOD has the advantage of being readily observed by remote sensing from space by several sensors. For example, some form of correlation was derived between AOD and the number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) through the comparison results from AERONET network and CCN measurements (Andreae 2009). In this study, a parameterization of CCN concentration as a function of AOD at 500 nm is given in the Arctic region. CCN data was collected during the period 2007-2013 at the Zeppelin observatory (78.91° N, 11.89° E, 474 masl). The AERONET network and MODIS AOD data are compared with ground measured CCN measurement and the relations between AOD and CCN are parameterized. The seasonal characteristics as well as long term trends are also considered. Through the measurement, CCN concentration remains high during spring because of aerosol transportation from the mid-latitudes, known as Arctic Haze. Lowest CCN number densities were observed during Arctic autumn and early winter when aerosol long-range transport into the Arctic is not effective and new particle formation ceases. The results show that the relation between AOD and CCN shows a different parameter depending on the seasonal aerosol and CCN characteristics. This seasonal different CCN-AOD relation can be interpreted as many physico-chemical aerosol properties including aerosol size distribution, composition. ReferenceAndreae, M. O. (2009

Detection of biological particles in ambient air using Bio-Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McJimpsey, E L; Steele, P T; Coffee, K R; Fergenson, D P; Riot, V J; Woods, B W; Gard, E E; Frank, M; Tobias, H J; Lebrilla, C

2006-01-01

The Bio-Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (BAMS) system is an instrument used for the real time detection and identification of biological aerosols. Particles are drawn from the atmosphere directly into vacuum and tracked as they scatter light from several continuous wave lasers. After tracking, the fluorescence of individual particles is excited by a pulsed 266nm or 355nm laser. Molecules from those particles with appropriate fluorescence properties are subsequently desorbed and ionized using a pulsed 266nm laser. Resulting ions are analyzed in a dual polarity mass spectrometer. During two field deployments at the San Francisco International Airport, millions of ambient particles were analyzed and a small but significant fraction were found to have fluorescent properties similar to Bacillus spores and vegetative cells. Further separation of non-biological background particles from potential biological particles was accomplished using laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. This has been shown to enable some level of species differentiation in specific cases, but the creation and observation of higher mass ions is needed to enable a higher level of specificity across more species. A soft ionization technique, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is being investigated for this purpose. MALDI is particularly well suited for mass analysis of biomolecules since it allows for the generation of molecular ions from large mass compounds that would fragment under normal irradiation. Some of the initial results from a modified BAMS system utilizing this technique are described

Detailed Source-Specific Molecular Composition of Ambient Aerosol Organic Matter Using Ultrahigh Resolution Mass Spectrometry and 1H NMR

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Amanda S. Willoughby

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Organic aerosols (OA are universally regarded as an important component of the atmosphere that have far-ranging impacts on climate forcing and human health. Many of these impacts are related to OA molecular characteristics. Despite the acknowledged importance, current uncertainties related to the source apportionment of molecular properties and environmental impacts make it difficult to confidently predict the net impacts of OA. Here we evaluate the specific molecular compounds as well as bulk structural properties of total suspended particulates in ambient OA collected from key emission sources (marine, biomass burning, and urban using ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (UHR-MS and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR. UHR-MS and 1H NMR show that OA within each source is structurally diverse, and the molecular characteristics are described in detail. Principal component analysis (PCA revealed that (1 aromatic nitrogen species are distinguishing components for these biomass burning aerosols; (2 these urban aerosols are distinguished by having formulas with high O/C ratios and lesser aromatic and condensed aromatic formulas; and (3 these marine aerosols are distinguished by lipid-like compounds of likely marine biological origin. This study provides a unique qualitative approach for enhancing the chemical characterization of OA necessary for molecular source apportionment.

Reduced anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing caused by biogenic new particle formation

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Hamish; Sengupta, Kamalika; Rap, Alexandru; Duplissy, Jonathan; Frege, Carla; Williamson, Christina; Heinritzi, Martin; Simon, Mario; Yan, Chao; Almeida, João; Tröstl, Jasmin; Nieminen, Tuomo; Ortega, Ismael K.; Wagner, Robert; Dunne, Eimear M.; Adamov, Alexey; Amorim, Antonio; Bernhammer, Anne-Kathrin; Bianchi, Federico; Breitenlechner, Martin; Brilke, Sophia; Chen, Xuemeng; Craven, Jill S.; Dias, Antonio; Ehrhart, Sebastian; Fischer, Lukas; Flagan, Richard C.; Franchin, Alessandro; Fuchs, Claudia; Guida, Roberto; Hakala, Jani; Hoyle, Christopher R.; Jokinen, Tuija; Junninen, Heikki; Kangasluoma, Juha; Kim, Jaeseok; Kirkby, Jasper; Krapf, Manuel; Kürten, Andreas; Laaksonen, Ari; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Makhmutov, Vladimir; Mathot, Serge; Molteni, Ugo; Monks, Sarah A.; Onnela, Antti; Peräkylä, Otso; Piel, Felix; Petäjä, Tuukka; Praplan, Arnaud P.; Pringle, Kirsty J.; Richards, Nigel A. D.; Rissanen, Matti P.; Rondo, Linda; Sarnela, Nina; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Scott, Catherine E.; Seinfeld, John H.; Sharma, Sangeeta; Sipilä, Mikko; Steiner, Gerhard; Stozhkov, Yuri; Stratmann, Frank; Tomé, Antonio; Virtanen, Annele; Vogel, Alexander Lucas; Wagner, Andrea C.; Wagner, Paul E.; Weingartner, Ernest; Wimmer, Daniela; Winkler, Paul M.; Ye, Penglin; Zhang, Xuan; Hansel, Armin; Dommen, Josef; Donahue, Neil M.; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Baltensperger, Urs; Kulmala, Markku; Curtius, Joachim; Carslaw, Kenneth S.

2016-10-01

The magnitude of aerosol radiative forcing caused by anthropogenic emissions depends on the baseline state of the atmosphere under pristine preindustrial conditions. Measurements show that particle formation in atmospheric conditions can occur solely from biogenic vapors. Here, we evaluate the potential effect of this source of particles on preindustrial cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations and aerosol-cloud radiative forcing over the industrial period. Model simulations show that the pure biogenic particle formation mechanism has a much larger relative effect on CCN concentrations in the preindustrial atmosphere than in the present atmosphere because of the lower aerosol concentrations. Consequently, preindustrial cloud albedo is increased more than under present day conditions, and therefore the cooling forcing of anthropogenic aerosols is reduced. The mechanism increases CCN concentrations by 20-100% over a large fraction of the preindustrial lower atmosphere, and the magnitude of annual global mean radiative forcing caused by changes of cloud albedo since 1750 is reduced by 0.22 W m-2 (27%) to -0.60 W m-2. Model uncertainties, relatively slow formation rates, and limited available ambient measurements make it difficult to establish the significance of a mechanism that has its dominant effect under preindustrial conditions. Our simulations predict more particle formation in the Amazon than is observed. However, the first observation of pure organic nucleation has now been reported for the free troposphere. Given the potentially significant effect on anthropogenic forcing, effort should be made to better understand such naturally driven aerosol processes.

Reduced anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing caused by biogenic new particle formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Hamish; Sengupta, Kamalika; Rap, Alexandru; Duplissy, Jonathan; Frege, Carla; Williamson, Christina; Heinritzi, Martin; Simon, Mario; Yan, Chao; Almeida, João; Tröstl, Jasmin; Nieminen, Tuomo; Ortega, Ismael K; Wagner, Robert; Dunne, Eimear M; Adamov, Alexey; Amorim, Antonio; Bernhammer, Anne-Kathrin; Bianchi, Federico; Breitenlechner, Martin; Brilke, Sophia; Chen, Xuemeng; Craven, Jill S; Dias, Antonio; Ehrhart, Sebastian; Fischer, Lukas; Flagan, Richard C; Franchin, Alessandro; Fuchs, Claudia; Guida, Roberto; Hakala, Jani; Hoyle, Christopher R; Jokinen, Tuija; Junninen, Heikki; Kangasluoma, Juha; Kim, Jaeseok; Kirkby, Jasper; Krapf, Manuel; Kürten, Andreas; Laaksonen, Ari; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Makhmutov, Vladimir; Mathot, Serge; Molteni, Ugo; Monks, Sarah A; Onnela, Antti; Peräkylä, Otso; Piel, Felix; Petäjä, Tuukka; Praplan, Arnaud P; Pringle, Kirsty J; Richards, Nigel A D; Rissanen, Matti P; Rondo, Linda; Sarnela, Nina; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Scott, Catherine E; Seinfeld, John H; Sharma, Sangeeta; Sipilä, Mikko; Steiner, Gerhard; Stozhkov, Yuri; Stratmann, Frank; Tomé, Antonio; Virtanen, Annele; Vogel, Alexander Lucas; Wagner, Andrea C; Wagner, Paul E; Weingartner, Ernest; Wimmer, Daniela; Winkler, Paul M; Ye, Penglin; Zhang, Xuan; Hansel, Armin; Dommen, Josef; Donahue, Neil M; Worsnop, Douglas R; Baltensperger, Urs; Kulmala, Markku; Curtius, Joachim; Carslaw, Kenneth S

2016-10-25

The magnitude of aerosol radiative forcing caused by anthropogenic emissions depends on the baseline state of the atmosphere under pristine preindustrial conditions. Measurements show that particle formation in atmospheric conditions can occur solely from biogenic vapors. Here, we evaluate the potential effect of this source of particles on preindustrial cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations and aerosol-cloud radiative forcing over the industrial period. Model simulations show that the pure biogenic particle formation mechanism has a much larger relative effect on CCN concentrations in the preindustrial atmosphere than in the present atmosphere because of the lower aerosol concentrations. Consequently, preindustrial cloud albedo is increased more than under present day conditions, and therefore the cooling forcing of anthropogenic aerosols is reduced. The mechanism increases CCN concentrations by 20-100% over a large fraction of the preindustrial lower atmosphere, and the magnitude of annual global mean radiative forcing caused by changes of cloud albedo since 1750 is reduced by [Formula: see text] (27%) to [Formula: see text] Model uncertainties, relatively slow formation rates, and limited available ambient measurements make it difficult to establish the significance of a mechanism that has its dominant effect under preindustrial conditions. Our simulations predict more particle formation in the Amazon than is observed. However, the first observation of pure organic nucleation has now been reported for the free troposphere. Given the potentially significant effect on anthropogenic forcing, effort should be made to better understand such naturally driven aerosol processes.

ANALYSIS OF RESPIRATORY DEPOSITION OF INHALED PARTICLES FOR DIFFERENT DOSE METRICS: COMPARISON OF NUMBER, SURFACE AREA AND MASS DOSE OF TYPICAL AMBIENT BI-MODAL AEROSOLS

Science.gov (United States)

ANALYSIS OF RESPIRATORY DEPOSITION OF INHALED PARTICLES FOR DIFFERENT DOSE METRICS: COMPARISON OF NUMBER, SURFACE AREA AND MASS DOSE OF TYPICAL AMBIENT BI-MODAL AEROSOLS.Chong S. Kim, SC. Hu*, PA Jaques*, US EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, ...

Aerosol composition and source apportionment in Santiago de Chile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artaxo, Paulo; Oyola, Pedro; Martinez, Roberto

1999-01-01

Santiago de Chile, Sao Paulo and Mexico City are Latin American urban areas that suffer from heavy air pollution. In order to study air pollution in Santiago area, an aerosol source apportionment study was designed to measure ambient aerosol composition and size distribution for two downtown sampling sites in Santiago. The aerosol monitoring stations were operated in Gotuzo and Las Condes during July and August 1996. The study employed stacked filter units (SFU) for aerosol sampling, collecting fine mode aerosol (dp 10 mass of particles smaller than 10 μm) and black carbon concentration were also measured. Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) was used to measure the concentration of 22 trace elements at levels below 0.5 ng m -3 . Quantitative aerosol source apportionment was performed using Absolute Principal Factor Analysis (APFA). Very high aerosol concentrations were observed (up to 400 μg/m 3 PM 10 ). The main aerosol particle sources in Santiago are resuspended soil dust and traffic emissions. Coarse particles account for 63% of PM 10 aerosol in Gotuzo and 53% in Las Condes. A major part of this component is resuspended soil dust. In the fine fraction, resuspended soil dust accounts for 15% of fine mass, and the aerosols associated with transportation activities account for a high 64% of the fine particle mass. Sulfate particle is an important component of the aerosol in Santiago, mainly originating from gas-to-particle conversion from SO 2 . In the Gotuzo site, sulfates are the highest aerosol component, accounting for 64.5% of fine mass. Direct traffic emissions are generally mixed with resuspended soil dust. It is difficult to separate the two components, because the soil dust in downtown Santiago is contaminated with Pb, Br, Cl, and other heavy metals that are also tracers for traffic emissions. Residual oil combustion is observed, with the presence of V, S and Ni. An aerosol components from industrial emissions is also present, with the presence of

Effects of ambient oxygen concentration on biodiesel and diesel spray combustion under simulated engine conditions

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Ji

2013-08-01

This study investigates the effect of ambient oxygen concentration on biodiesel and diesel spray combustion under simulated compression-ignition engine conditions in a constant-volume chamber. The apparent heat release rate (AHRR) is calculated based on the measured pressure. High-speed imaging of OH* chemiluminescence and natural luminosity (NL) is employed to visualize the combustion process. Temporally and spatially resolved NL and OH* contour plots are obtained. The result indicates that AHRR depends monotonically on the ambient oxygen concentration for both fuels. A lower oxygen concentration yields a slower AHRR increase rate, a lower peak AHRR value, but a higher AHRR value during the burn-out stage when compared with higher ambient oxygen concentration conditions. OH* chemiluminescence and NL contours indicate that biodiesel may experience a longer premixed-combustion duration. The 18% ambient O2 condition works better for biodiesel than diesel in reducing soot luminosity. With 12% O2, diesel combustion is significantly degraded. However, both fuels experience low temperature combustion at 10% O2. These results may imply that biodiesel is able to achieve the desired lower soot production under a moderate oxygen level with higher combustion efficiency, while diesel needs to be burned under very low ambient oxygen concentration for low soot production. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of ambient oxygen concentration on biodiesel and diesel spray combustion under simulated engine conditions

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Ji; Jing, Wei; Roberts, William L.; Fang, Tiegang

2013-01-01

This study investigates the effect of ambient oxygen concentration on biodiesel and diesel spray combustion under simulated compression-ignition engine conditions in a constant-volume chamber. The apparent heat release rate (AHRR) is calculated based on the measured pressure. High-speed imaging of OH* chemiluminescence and natural luminosity (NL) is employed to visualize the combustion process. Temporally and spatially resolved NL and OH* contour plots are obtained. The result indicates that AHRR depends monotonically on the ambient oxygen concentration for both fuels. A lower oxygen concentration yields a slower AHRR increase rate, a lower peak AHRR value, but a higher AHRR value during the burn-out stage when compared with higher ambient oxygen concentration conditions. OH* chemiluminescence and NL contours indicate that biodiesel may experience a longer premixed-combustion duration. The 18% ambient O2 condition works better for biodiesel than diesel in reducing soot luminosity. With 12% O2, diesel combustion is significantly degraded. However, both fuels experience low temperature combustion at 10% O2. These results may imply that biodiesel is able to achieve the desired lower soot production under a moderate oxygen level with higher combustion efficiency, while diesel needs to be burned under very low ambient oxygen concentration for low soot production. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Increases in aerosol concentrations over eastern China due to the decadal-scale weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jianlei; Liao, Hong; Li, Jianping

2012-05-01

China has been experiencing increased concentrations of aerosols, commonly attributed to the large increases in emissions associated with the rapid economic development. We show by using a chemical transport model driven by the assimilated meteorological fields that the observed decadal-scale weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon also contributed to the increases in aerosols in China. We find that the simulated aerosol concentrations have strong negative correlations with the strength of the East Asian Summer monsoon. Accounting for sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, black carbon, and organic carbon aerosols, the summer surface-layer PM2.5 concentration averaged over eastern China (110°-125°E, 20°-45°N) can be 17.7% higher in the weakest monsoon years than in the strongest monsoon years. The weakening of the East Asian Summer monsoon increases aerosol concentrations mainly by the changes in atmospheric circulation (the convergence of air pollutants) in eastern China.

Methodology for estimating sodium aerosol concentrations during breeder reactor fires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fields, D.E.; Miller, C.W.

1985-01-01

We have devised and applied a methodology for estimating the concentration of aerosols released at building surfaces and monitored at other building surface points. We have used this methodology to make calculations that suggest, for one air-cooled breeder reactor design, cooling will not be compromised by severe liquid-metal fires

Where and What Is Pristine Marine Aerosol?

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, L. M.; Frossard, A. A.; Long, M. S.; Burrows, S. M.; Elliott, S.; Bates, T. S.; Quinn, P.

2014-12-01

The sources and composition of atmospheric marine aerosol particles have been measured by functional group composition (from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) to identify the organic composition of the pristine primary marine (ocean-derived) particles as 65% hydroxyl, 21% alkane, 6% amine, and 7% carboxylic acid functional groups [Frossard et al., 2014a,b]. Pristine but non-primary components from photochemical reactions (likely from biogenic marine vapor emissions) add carboxylic acid groups. Non-pristine contributions include shipping effluent in seawater and ship emissions, which add additional alkane groups (up to 70%), and coastal or continental emissions mix in alkane and carboxylic acid groups. The pristine primary marine (ocean-derived) organic aerosol composition is nearly identical to model generated primary marine aerosol particles from bubbled seawater, indicating that its overall functional group composition is the direct consequence of the organic constituents of the seawater source. While the seawater organic functional group composition was nearly invariant across all three ocean regions studied and the ratio of organic carbon to sodium (OC/Na+) in the generated primary marine aerosol particles remained nearly constant over a broad range of chlorophyll-a concentrations, the generated primary marine aerosol particle alkane group fraction increased with chlorophyll-a concentrations. In addition, the generated primary marine aerosol particles have a hydroxyl group absorption peak location characteristic of monosaccharides and disaccharides, where the seawater hydroxyl group peak location is closer to that of polysaccharides. References Cited Frossard, Amanda A., Lynn M. Russell, Paola Massoli, Timothy S. Bates, and Patricia K. Quinn, "Side-by-Side Comparison of Four Techniques Explains the Apparent Differences in the Organic Composition of Generated and Ambient Marine Aerosol Particles," Aerosol Science and Technology - Aerosol Research Letter

Trace element similarity groups in north Florida Spanish moss: evidence for direct uptake of aerosol particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheline, J.; Akselsson, R.; Winchester, J.W.

1976-02-20

The elemental composition of 10 samples of Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides L. collected mainly in forested areas near Tallahassee, Florida, has been compared to the composition of the ambient aerosol particle background in the forest measured as a function of particle size. For forest samples, moss composition is similar to the composition of aerosol particles greater than about 0.5-..mu..m diameter for the elements S, Cl, Ti, V, Fe, Ni, Zn, Br, Pb, and possibly Cu. Elements relatively enriched in the moss fall into two groups, K, Rb, Zr and Ca, Sr, Mn, based on detailed association patterns. No evidence is found for an enrichment, relative to the ambient aerosol, of pollution-derived elements Pb, Br, V, and Ni, although those elements are found at higher concentrations in moss samples from locations nearer roadways or oil-fired power plants. The moss appears to have potential value as an indicator of time average aerosol composition for particles of greater than or equal to 0.5 ..mu..m, except for the enriched elements, which may have longer biological retention times. (auth)

Impact of Transpacific Aerosol on Air Quality over the United States: A Perspective from Aerosol-Cloud-Radiation Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Zhining; Yu, Hongbin; Chin, Mian

2015-01-01

Observations have well established that aerosols from various sources in Asia, Europe, and Africa can travel across the Pacific and reach the contiguous United States (U.S.) at least on episodic bases throughout a year, with a maximum import in spring. The imported aerosol not only can serve as an additional source to regional air pollution (e.g., direct input), but also can influence regional air quality through the aerosol-cloud-radiation (ACR) interactions that change local and regional meteorology. This study assessed impacts of the transpacific aerosol on air quality, focusing on surface ozone and PM2.5, over the U.S. using the NASA Unified Weather Research Forecast model. Based on the results of 3- month (April to June of 2010) simulations, the impact of direct input (as an additional source) of transpacific aerosol caused an increase of surface PM2.5 concentration by approximately 1.5 micro-g/cu m over the west coast and about 0.5 micro-g/cu m over the east coast of the U.S. By influencing key meteorological processes through the ACR interactions, the transpacific aerosol exerted a significant effect on both surface PM2.5 (+/-6 micro-g/cu m3) and ozone (+/-12 ppbv) over the central and eastern U.S. This suggests that the transpacific transport of aerosol could either improve or deteriorate local air quality and complicate local effort toward the compliance with the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

The impact of changing surface ocean conditions on the dissolution of aerosol iron

Science.gov (United States)

Fishwick, Matthew P.; Sedwick, Peter N.; Lohan, Maeve C.; Worsfold, Paul J.; Buck, Kristen N.; Church, Thomas M.; Ussher, Simon J.

2014-11-01

The proportion of aerosol iron (Fe) that dissolves in seawater varies greatly and is dependent on aerosol composition and the physicochemical conditions of seawater, which may change depending on location or be altered by global environmental change. Aerosol and surface seawater samples were collected in the Sargasso Sea and used to investigate the impact of these changing conditions on aerosol Fe dissolution in seawater. Our data show that seawater temperature, pH, and oxygen concentration, within the range of current and projected future values, had no significant effect on the dissolution of aerosol Fe. However, the source and composition of aerosols had the most significant effect on the aerosol Fe solubility, with the most anthropogenically influenced samples having the highest fractional solubility (up to 3.2%). The impact of ocean warming and acidification on aerosol Fe dissolution is therefore unlikely to be as important as changes in land usage and fossil fuel combustion. Our experimental results also reveal important changes in the size distribution of soluble aerosol Fe in solution, depending on the chemical conditions of seawater. Under typical conditions, the majority (77-100%) of Fe released from aerosols into ambient seawater existed in the colloidal (0.02-0.4 µm) size fraction. However, in the presence of a sufficient concentration of strong Fe-binding organic ligands (10 nM) most of the aerosol-derived colloidal Fe was converted to soluble Fe (<0.02 µm). This finding highlights the potential importance of organic ligands in retaining aerosol Fe in a biologically available form in the surface ocean.

Ambient and laboratory observations of organic ammonium salts in PM1.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlag, P; Rubach, F; Mentel, T F; Reimer, D; Canonaco, F; Henzing, J S; Moerman, M; Otjes, R; Prévôt, A S H; Rohrer, F; Rosati, B; Tillmann, R; Weingartner, E; Kiendler-Scharr, A

2017-08-24

Ambient measurements of PM 1 aerosol chemical composition at Cabauw, the Netherlands, implicate higher ammonium concentrations than explained by the formation of inorganic ammonium salts. This additional particulate ammonium is called excess ammonium (e NH 4 ). Height profiles over the Cabauw Experimental Site for Atmospheric Research (CESAR) tower, of combined ground based and airborne aerosol mass spectrometric (AMS) measurements on a Zeppelin airship show higher concentrations of e NH 4 at higher altitudes compared to the ground. Through flights across the Netherlands, the Zeppelin based measurements furthermore substantiate e NH 4 as a regional phenomenon in the planetary boundary layer. The excess ammonium correlates with mass spectral signatures of (di-)carboxylic acids, making a heterogeneous acid-base reaction the likely process of NH 3 uptake. We show that this excess ammonium was neutralized by the organic fraction forming particulate organic ammonium salts. We discuss the significance of such organic ammonium salts for atmospheric aerosols and suggest that NH 3 emission control will have benefits for particulate matter control beyond the reduction of inorganic ammonium salts.

Individual aerosol particles in ambient and updraft conditions below convective cloud bases in the Oman mountain region

Science.gov (United States)

Semeniuk, T. A.; Bruintjes, R. T.; Salazar, V.; Breed, D. W.; Jensen, T. L.; Buseck, P. R.

2014-03-01

An airborne study of cloud microphysics provided an opportunity to collect aerosol particles in ambient and updraft conditions of natural convection systems for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Particles were collected simultaneously on lacey carbon and calcium-coated carbon (Ca-C) TEM grids, providing information on particle morphology and chemistry and a unique record of the particle's physical state on impact. In total, 22 particle categories were identified, including single, coated, aggregate, and droplet types. The fine fraction comprised up to 90% mixed cation sulfate (MCS) droplets, while the coarse fraction comprised up to 80% mineral-containing aggregates. Insoluble (dry), partially soluble (wet), and fully soluble particles (droplets) were recorded on Ca-C grids. Dry particles were typically silicate grains; wet particles were mineral aggregates with chloride, nitrate, or sulfate components; and droplets were mainly aqueous NaCl and MCS. Higher numbers of droplets were present in updrafts (80% relative humidity (RH)) compared with ambient conditions (60% RH), and almost all particles activated at cloud base (100% RH). Greatest changes in size and shape were observed in NaCl-containing aggregates (>0.3 µm diameter) along updraft trajectories. Their abundance was associated with high numbers of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and cloud droplets, as well as large droplet sizes in updrafts. Thus, compositional dependence was observed in activation behavior recorded for coarse and fine fractions. Soluble salts from local pollution and natural sources clearly affected aerosol-cloud interactions, enhancing the spectrum of particles forming CCN and by forming giant CCN from aggregates, thus, making cloud seeding with hygroscopic flares ineffective in this region.

Contributions of Organic Sources to Atmospheric Aerosol Particle Concentrations and Growth

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Russell, L. M.

2017-12-01

Organic molecules are important contributors to aerosol particle mass and number concentrations through primary emissions as well as secondary growth in the atmosphere. New techniques for measuring organic aerosol components in atmospheric particles have improved measurements of this contribution in the last 20 years, including Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (STXM-NEXAFS), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and High-Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (AMS). STXM-NEXAFS individual aerosol particle composition illustrated the variety of morphology of organic components in marine aerosols, the inherent relationships between organic composition and shape, and the links between atmospheric aerosol composition and particles produced in smog chambers. This type of single particle microscopy has also added to size distribution measurements by providing evidence of how surface-controlled and bulk-controlled processes contribute to the growth of particles in the atmosphere. FTIR analysis of organic functional groups are sufficient to distinguish combustion, marine, and terrestrial organic particle sources and to show that each of those types of sources has a surprisingly similar organic functional group composition over four different oceans and four different continents. Augmenting the limited sampling of these off-line techniques with side-by-side inter-comparisons to online AMS provides complementary composition information and consistent quantitative attribution to sources (despite some clear method differences). Single-particle AMS techniques using light scattering and event trigger modes have now also characterized the types of particles found in urban, marine, and ship emission aerosols. Most recently, by combining with off-line techniques, single particle composition measurements have separated and quantified the contributions of organic, sulfate and salt components from ocean biogenic and sea spray

Organic condensation: a vital link connecting aerosol formation to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Riipinen, I.; Pierce, J. R.; Yli-Juuti, T.; Nieminen, T.; Häkkinen, S.; Ehn, M.; Junninen, H.; Lehtipalo, K.; Petäjä, T.; Slowik, J.; Chang, R.; Shantz, N. C.; Abbatt, J.; Leaitch, W. R.; Kerminen, V.-M.; Worsnop, D. R.; Pandis, S. N.; Donahue, N. M.; Kulmala, M.

2011-04-01

Atmospheric aerosol particles influence global climate as well as impair air quality through their effects on atmospheric visibility and human health. Ultrafine (<100 nm) particles often dominate aerosol numbers, and nucleation of atmospheric vapors is an important source of these particles. To have climatic relevance, however, the freshly nucleated particles need to grow in size. We combine observations from two continental sites (Egbert, Canada and Hyytiälä, Finland) to show that condensation of organic vapors is a crucial factor governing the lifetimes and climatic importance of the smallest atmospheric particles. We model the observed ultrafine aerosol growth with a simplified scheme approximating the condensing species as a mixture of effectively non-volatile and semi-volatile species, demonstrate that state-of-the-art organic gas-particle partitioning models fail to reproduce the observations, and propose a modeling approach that is consistent with the measurements. We find that roughly half of the mass of the condensing mass needs to be distributed proportional to the aerosol surface area (thus implying that the condensation is governed by gas-phase concentration rather than the equilibrium vapour pressure) to explain the observed aerosol growth. We demonstrate the large sensitivity of predicted number concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) to these interactions between organic vapors and the smallest atmospheric nanoparticles - highlighting the need for representing this process in global climate models.

Evaporation kinetics and phase of laboratory and ambient secondary organic aerosol

Science.gov (United States)

Vaden, Timothy D.; Imre, Dan; Beránek, Josef; Shrivastava, Manish; Zelenyuk, Alla

2011-01-01

Field measurements of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) find significantly higher mass loads than predicted by models, sparking intense effort focused on finding additional SOA sources but leaving the fundamental assumptions used by models unchallenged. Current air-quality models use absorptive partitioning theory assuming SOA particles are liquid droplets, forming instantaneous reversible equilibrium with gas phase. Further, they ignore the effects of adsorption of spectator organic species during SOA formation on SOA properties and fate. Using accurate and highly sensitive experimental approach for studying evaporation kinetics of size-selected single SOA particles, we characterized room-temperature evaporation kinetics of laboratory-generated α-pinene SOA and ambient atmospheric SOA. We found that even when gas phase organics are removed, it takes ∼24 h for pure α-pinene SOA particles to evaporate 75% of their mass, which is in sharp contrast to the ∼10 min time scale predicted by current kinetic models. Adsorption of “spectator” organic vapors during SOA formation, and aging of these coated SOA particles, dramatically reduced the evaporation rate, and in some cases nearly stopped it. Ambient SOA was found to exhibit evaporation behavior very similar to that of laboratory-generated coated and aged SOA. For all cases studied in this work, SOA evaporation behavior is nearly size-independent and does not follow the evaporation kinetics of liquid droplets, in sharp contrast with model assumptions. The findings about SOA phase, evaporation rates, and the importance of spectator gases and aging all indicate that there is need to reformulate the way SOA formation and evaporation are treated by models. PMID:21262848

Quantitative LC–MS for water-soluble heterocyclic amines in fine aerosols (PM2.5) at Duke Forest, USA

Science.gov (United States)

In this study, a quantitative liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique capable of measuring the concentrations of heterocyclic nitrogen compounds in ambient fine aerosols (PM2.5) has been developed. Quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) MS technology is used to provi...

Characteristics of Ambient Black Carbon Mass and Size-Resolved Particle Number Concentrations during Corn Straw Open-Field Burning Episode Observations at a Rural Site in Southern Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yu-Hsiang; Yang, Li-Sing

2016-07-08

Information on the effect of open-field burning of agricultural residues on ambient black carbon (BC) mass and size-resolved particle number concentrations is scarce. In this study, to understand the effect of such open-field burning on short-term air quality, real-time variations of the BC mass and size-resolved particle number concentrations were monitored before and during a corn straw open-field burning episode at a rural site. Correlations between the BC mass and size-resolved particle number concentrations during the episode were investigated. Moreover, the particle number size distribution and absorption Ångström exponent were determined for obtaining the characteristics of aerosol emissions from the corn straw open-field burning. The results can be used to address public health concerns and as a reference for managing similar episodes of open-field burning of agricultural residues.

The impact of residential combustion emissions on atmospheric aerosol, human health, and climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. W. Butt

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Combustion of fuels in the residential sector for cooking and heating results in the emission of aerosol and aerosol precursors impacting air quality, human health, and climate. Residential emissions are dominated by the combustion of solid fuels. We use a global aerosol microphysics model to simulate the impact of residential fuel combustion on atmospheric aerosol for the year 2000. The model underestimates black carbon (BC and organic carbon (OC mass concentrations observed over Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa, with better prediction when carbonaceous emissions from the residential sector are doubled. Observed seasonal variability of BC and OC concentrations are better simulated when residential emissions include a seasonal cycle. The largest contributions of residential emissions to annual surface mean particulate matter (PM2.5 concentrations are simulated for East Asia, South Asia, and Eastern Europe. We use a concentration response function to estimate the human health impact due to long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 from residential emissions. We estimate global annual excess adult (>  30 years of age premature mortality (due to both cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer to be 308 000 (113 300–497 000, 5th to 95th percentile uncertainty range for monthly varying residential emissions and 517 000 (192 000–827 000 when residential carbonaceous emissions are doubled. Mortality due to residential emissions is greatest in Asia, with China and India accounting for 50 % of simulated global excess mortality. Using an offline radiative transfer model we estimate that residential emissions exert a global annual mean direct radiative effect between −66 and +21 mW m−2, with sensitivity to the residential emission flux and the assumed ratio of BC, OC, and SO2 emissions. Residential emissions exert a global annual mean first aerosol indirect effect of between −52 and −16 mW m−2, which is sensitive to the

Uncertainty associated with the gravimetric measurement of particulate matter concentration in ambient air.

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Lacey, Ronald E; Faulkner, William Brock

2015-07-01

This work applied a propagation of uncertainty method to typical total suspended particulate (TSP) sampling apparatus in order to estimate the overall measurement uncertainty. The objectives of this study were to estimate the uncertainty for three TSP samplers, develop an uncertainty budget, and determine the sensitivity of the total uncertainty to environmental parameters. The samplers evaluated were the TAMU High Volume TSP Sampler at a nominal volumetric flow rate of 1.42 m3 min(-1) (50 CFM), the TAMU Low Volume TSP Sampler at a nominal volumetric flow rate of 17 L min(-1) (0.6 CFM) and the EPA TSP Sampler at the nominal volumetric flow rates of 1.1 and 1.7 m3 min(-1) (39 and 60 CFM). Under nominal operating conditions the overall measurement uncertainty was found to vary from 6.1x10(-6) g m(-3) to 18.0x10(-6) g m(-3), which represented an uncertainty of 1.7% to 5.2% of the measurement. Analysis of the uncertainty budget determined that three of the instrument parameters contributed significantly to the overall uncertainty: the uncertainty in the pressure drop measurement across the orifice meter during both calibration and testing and the uncertainty of the airflow standard used during calibration of the orifice meter. Five environmental parameters occurring during field measurements were considered for their effect on overall uncertainty: ambient TSP concentration, volumetric airflow rate, ambient temperature, ambient pressure, and ambient relative humidity. Of these, only ambient TSP concentration and volumetric airflow rate were found to have a strong effect on the overall uncertainty. The technique described in this paper can be applied to other measurement systems and is especially useful where there are no methods available to generate these values empirically. This work addresses measurement uncertainty of TSP samplers used in ambient conditions. Estimation of uncertainty in gravimetric measurements is of particular interest, since as ambient particulate

Contribution of bacteria-like particles to PM2.5 aerosol in urban and rural environments

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, R.; El-Haddad, I.; Slowik, J. G.; Dällenbach, K.; Bruns, E.; Vasilescu, J.; Baltensperger, U.; Prévôt, A. S. H.

2017-07-01

We report highly time-resolved estimates of airborne bacteria-like particle concentrations in ambient aerosol using an Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). AMS measurements with a newly developed PM2.5 and the standard (PM1) aerodynamic lens were performed at an urban background site (Zurich) and at a rural site (Payerne) in Switzerland. Positive matrix factorization using the multilinear engine (ME-2) implementation was used to estimate the contribution of bacteria-like particles to non-refractory organic aerosol. The success of the method was evaluated by a size-resolved analysis of the organic mass and the analysis of single particle mass spectra, which were detected with a light scattering system integrated into the AMS. Use of the PM2.5 aerodynamic lens increased measured bacteria-like concentrations, supporting the analysis method. However, at all sites, the low concentrations of this component suggest that airborne bacteria constitute a minor fraction of non-refractory PM2.5 organic aerosol mass. Estimated average mass concentrations were below 0.1 μg/m3 and relative contributions were lower than 2% at both sites. During rainfall periods, concentrations of the bacteria-like component increased considerably reaching a short-time maximum of approximately 2 μg/m3 at the Payerne site in summer.

Carbonaceous aerosols from prescribed burning of a boreal forest ecosystem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazurek, M.A.; Cofer, W.R. III; Levine, J.S.

1990-10-01

The identity and ambient mass concentrations of radiatively important carbonaceous aerosols were measured for a boreal forest prescribed burn conducted in northern Ontario, CAN in August 1989. Nonsize-segregated airborne particles were collected for smoldering-fire and full-fire conditions using a helicopter sampling platform. Total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) were measured. Smoke plume mass concentrations of the OC and EC particles were greatest for full-fire conditions and had ranges of 1.560 to 2.160 mg/m -1 (OC) and 0.120 to 0.160 mg/m -3 (EC) with OC:EC ratios of 10 to 18, respectively. Smoldering fire conditions showed smoke plume OC and EC levels of 0.570--1.030 mg/m -3 (OC) and 0.006--0.050 mg/m -3 (EC) and much higher ratios of OC:EC (21 to 95). These aerosol data indicate the formation of EC particles is greatest during full-fire combustion of boreal forest material relative to smoldering combustion. However, EC particles comprise a minor fraction of the particulate carbon smoke aerosols for both full-fire and smoldering conditions; the major component of carbonaceous smoke aerosols emitted during the prescribed burn is OC. Overall, the OC and EC in-plume smoke aerosol data show nonuniform production of these particles during various stages of the prescribed burn, and major differences in the type of carbonaceous aerosol that is generated (OC versus EC)

Distributions and climate effects of atmospheric aerosols from the preindustrial era to 2100 along Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs simulated using the global aerosol model SPRINTARS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Takemura

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Global distributions and associated climate effects of atmospheric aerosols were simulated using a global aerosol climate model, SPRINTARS, from 1850 to the present day and projected forward to 2100. Aerosol emission inventories used by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5 were applied to this study. Scenarios based on the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs were used for the future projection. Aerosol loading in the atmosphere has already peaked and is now reducing in Europe and North America. However, in Asia where rapid economic growth is ongoing, aerosol loading is estimated to reach a maximum in the first half of this century. Atmospheric aerosols originating from the burning of biomass have maintained high loadings throughout the 21st century in Africa, according to the RCPs. Evolution of the adjusted forcing by direct and indirect aerosol effects over time generally correspond to the aerosol loading. The probable future pathways of global mean forcing differ based on the aerosol direct effect for different RCPs. Because aerosol forcing will be close to the preindustrial level by the end of the 21st century for all RCPs despite the continuous increases in greenhouse gases, global warming will be accelerated with reduced aerosol negative forcing.

Characterizing the influence of anthropogenic emissions and transport variability on sulfate aerosol concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Potter, Lauren E.

Sulfate aerosol in the atmosphere has substantial impacts on human health and environmental quality. Most notably, atmospheric sulfate has the potential to modify the earth's climate system through both direct and indirect radiative forcing mechanisms (Meehl et al., 2007). Emissions of sulfur dioxide, the primary precursor of sulfate aerosol, are now globally dominated by anthropogenic sources as a result of widespread fossil fuel combustion. Economic development in Asian countries since 1990 has contributed considerably to atmospheric sulfur loading, particularly China, which currently emits approximately 1/3 of global anthropogenic SO2 (Klimont et al., 2013). Observational and modeling studies have confirmed that anthropogenic pollutants from Asian sources can be transported long distances with important implications for future air quality and global climate change. Located in the remote Pacific Ocean (19.54°N, 155.58°W) at an elevation of 3.4 kilometers above sea level, Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) is an ideal measurement site for ground-based, free tropospheric observations and is well situated to experience influence from springtime Asian outflow. This study makes use of a 14-year data set of aerosol ionic composition, obtained at MLO by the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Daily filter samples of total aerosol concentrations were made during nighttime downslope (free-tropospheric) transport conditions, from 1995 to 2008, and were analyzed for aerosol-phase concentrations of the following species: nitrate (NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), methanesulfonate (MSA), chloride (Cl-), oxalate, sodium (Na+), ammonium (NH 4+), potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg 2+), and calcium (Ca2+). An understanding of the factors controlling seasonal and interannual variations in aerosol speciation and concentrations at this site is complicated by the relatively short lifetimes of aerosols, compared with greenhouse gases which have also been sampled over long time periods at MLO. Aerosol filter

Instrumentation for tropospheric aerosol characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Z.; Young, S.E.; Becker, C.H.; Coggiola, M.J. [SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States); Wollnik, H. [Giessen Univ. (Germany)

1997-12-31

A new instrument has been developed that determines the abundance, size distribution, and chemical composition of tropospheric and lower stratospheric aerosols with diameters down to 0.2 {mu}m. In addition to aerosol characterization, the instrument also monitors the chemical composition of the ambient gas. More than 25.000 aerosol particle mass spectra were recorded during the NASA-sponsored Subsonic Aircraft: Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study (SUCCESS) field program using NASA`s DC-8 research aircraft. (author) 7 refs.

Instrumentation for tropospheric aerosol characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Z; Young, S E; Becker, C H; Coggiola, M J [SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States); Wollnik, H [Giessen Univ. (Germany)

1998-12-31

A new instrument has been developed that determines the abundance, size distribution, and chemical composition of tropospheric and lower stratospheric aerosols with diameters down to 0.2 {mu}m. In addition to aerosol characterization, the instrument also monitors the chemical composition of the ambient gas. More than 25.000 aerosol particle mass spectra were recorded during the NASA-sponsored Subsonic Aircraft: Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study (SUCCESS) field program using NASA`s DC-8 research aircraft. (author) 7 refs.

Molecular Characterization of Organosulfates in Urban Aerosols during the Spring Festival by FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Q.; Fu, P.

2017-12-01

Aerosol particles collected at daytime and nighttime in Beijing during the spring festival, including the episodes of various gradient level pollution and short-term pollution raised by fireworks, were analyzed using 15T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICRMS). Organosulfates (OSs), tracers for secondary organic aerosol formation, were identified through accurate mass measurements. Both the total number and the arbitrary abundance of OSs were consistent with the total OC concentrations of the aerosol samples. Nitrooxy-organosulfates were more abundant in the nighttime than those in the daytime due to high NOX concentrations at night. Although all subgroups OSs increased with the deterioration of air quality, especially for the relative abundance of aromatic OSs with high double bond equivalents, the percentage contributions of aliphatic OSs with low degree of unsaturation decreased. It was worth to note that aliphatic OSs with a wide range in carbon-chain length of C6-40 were identified in this study. The candidates for their potential precursors were alkanes and fatty acids. Moreover, a large number of aromatic OSs, about two thirds of OSs, were detected. The rapid formation of these compounds in New Year's Eve with plentiful aromatics from firework burning suggests that they may be derived from PAHs. The high carbon and oxygen contents of OSs may indicate the presence of dimmers, even polymers. Our results support the important contribution of anthropogenic precursors to OSs in ambient aerosols on the basis of aromatic and aliphatic OSs, which may have a significant impact on the hygroscopic properties of ambient aerosol particles.

Variation of indoor radon concentration and ambient dose equivalent rate in different outdoor and indoor environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stojanovska, Zdenka; Janevik, Emilija; Taleski, Vaso [Goce Delcev University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Stip (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Boev, Blazo [Goce Delcev University, Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences, Stip (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Zunic, Zora S. [University of Belgrade, Institute of Nuclear Sciences ' ' Vinca' ' , Belgrade (Serbia); Ivanova, Kremena; Tsenova, Martina [National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Sofia (Bulgaria); Ristova, Mimoza [University in Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematic, Institute of Physics, Skopje (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Ajka, Sorsa [Croatian Geological Survey, Zagreb (Croatia); Bossew, Peter [German Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Berlin (Germany)

2016-05-15

Subject of this study is an investigation of the variations of indoor radon concentration and ambient dose equivalent rate in outdoor and indoor environments of 40 dwellings, 31 elementary schools and five kindergartens. The buildings are located in three municipalities of two, geologically different, areas of the Republic of Macedonia. Indoor radon concentrations were measured by nuclear track detectors, deployed in the most occupied room of the building, between June 2013 and May 2014. During the deploying campaign, indoor and outdoor ambient dose equivalent rates were measured simultaneously at the same location. It appeared that the measured values varied from 22 to 990 Bq/m{sup 3} for indoor radon concentrations, from 50 to 195 nSv/h for outdoor ambient dose equivalent rates, and from 38 to 184 nSv/h for indoor ambient dose equivalent rates. The geometric mean value of indoor to outdoor ambient dose equivalent rates was found to be 0.88, i.e. the outdoor ambient dose equivalent rates were on average higher than the indoor ambient dose equivalent rates. All measured can reasonably well be described by log-normal distributions. A detailed statistical analysis of factors which influence the measured quantities is reported. (orig.)

Novel Measurements of Aerosol Particle Interfaces Using Biphasic Microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Metcalf, A. R.; Dutcher, C. S.

2014-12-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles are nearly ubiquitous in the atmosphere and yet there remains large uncertainties in their formation processes and ambient properties. These particles are complex microenvironments, which can contain multiple interfaces due to internal aqueous-organic phase partitioning and to the external liquid-vapor surface. These aerosol interfaces can profoundly affect the fate of condensable organic compounds emitted into the atmosphere by altering the way in which organic vapors interact with the ambient aerosol. Aerosol interfaces affect particle internal structure, species uptake, equilibrium partitioning, activation to cloud condensation or ice nuclei, and optical properties. For example, organic thin films can shield the core of the aerosol from the ambient environment, which may disrupt equilibrium partitioning and mass transfer. To improve our ability to accurately predict the fate of SOA in the atmosphere, we must improve our knowledge of aerosol interfaces and their interactions with the ambient environment. Few technologies exist to accurately probe aerosol interfaces at atmospherically-relevant conditions. In this talk, a novel method using biphasic microscale flows will be introduced for generating, trapping, and perturbing complex interfaces at atmospherically relevant conditions. These microfluidic experiments utilize high-speed imaging to monitor interfacial phenomena at the microscale and are performed with phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy on a temperature-controlled inverted microscope stage. From these experiments, interfacial thermodynamic properties such as surface tension, rheological properties such as interfacial moduli, and kinetic properties such as mass transfer coefficients can be measured or inferred. Chemical compositions of the liquid phases studied here span a range of viscosities and include electrolyte and water soluble organic acid species often observed in the atmosphere, such as mixtures

Volatility measurement of atmospheric submicron aerosols in an urban atmosphere in southern China

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Li-Ming; Huang, Xiao-Feng; Li, Yuan-Yuan; Hu, Min; He, Ling-Yan

2018-02-01

Aerosol pollution has been a very serious environmental problem in China for many years. The volatility of aerosols can affect the distribution of compounds in the gas and aerosol phases, the atmospheric fates of the corresponding components, and the measurement of the concentration of aerosols. Compared to the characterization of chemical composition, few studies have focused on the volatility of aerosols in China. In this study, a thermodenuder aerosol mass spectrometer (TD-AMS) system was deployed to study the volatility of non-refractory submicron particulate matter (PM1) species during winter in Shenzhen. To our knowledge, this paper is the first report of the volatilities of aerosol chemical components based on a TD-AMS system in China. The average PM1 mass concentration during the experiment was 42.7±20.1 µg m-3, with organic aerosol (OA) being the most abundant component (43.2 % of the total mass). The volatility of chemical species measured by the AMS varied, with nitrate showing the highest volatility, with a mass fraction remaining (MFR) of 0.57 at 50 °C. Organics showed semi-volatile characteristics (the MFR was 0.88 at 50 °C), and the volatility had a relatively linear correlation with the TD temperature (from the ambient temperature to 200 °C), with an evaporation rate of 0.45 % °C-1. Five subtypes of OA were resolved from total OA using positive matrix factorization (PMF) for data obtained under both ambient temperature and high temperatures through the TD, including a hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA, accounting for 13.5 %), a cooking OA (COA, 20.6 %), a biomass-burning OA (BBOA, 8.9 %), and two oxygenated OAs (OOAs): a less-oxidized OOA (LO-OOA, 39.1 %) and a more-oxidized OOA (MO-OOA, 17.9 %). Different OA factors presented different volatilities, and the volatility sequence of the OA factors at 50 °C was HOA (MFR of 0.56) > LO-OOA (0.70) > COA (0.85) ≈ BBOA (0.87) > MO-OOA (0.99), which was not completely consistent with the sequence of their O

Ambient Aerosol in Southeast Asia: High Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometer Measurements Over Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, G.; Dimarco, C.; Misztal, P.; Nemitz, E.; Farmer, D.; Kimmel, J.; Jimenez, J.

2008-12-01

The emission of organic compounds in the troposphere is important factor in the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). A very large proportion of organic material emitted globally is estimated to arise from biogenic sources, with almost half coming from tropical and sub-tropical forests. Preliminary analyses of leave cuvette emission studies suggest that oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a significantly larger source of isoprene than tropical forest. Much larger sources of isoprene over oil palm allied with a larger anthropogenic component of local emissions contrast greatly with the remote tropical forest environment and therefore the character of SOA formed may differ significantly. These issues, allied with the high price of palm oil on international markets leading to increased use of land for oil palm production, could give rise to rapidly changing chemical and aerosol regimes in the tropics. It is therefore important to understand the current emissions and composition of organic aerosol over all important land-uses in the tropical environment. This in turn will lead to a greater understanding of the present, and to an improvement in predictive capacity for the future system. To help address these issues, a high resolution time of flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) was deployed in the Sabahmas (PPB OIL) oil palm plantation near Lahad Datu, in Eastern Sabah, as part of the field component of the Aerosol Coupling in the Earth System (ACES) project, part of the UK NERC APPRAISE program. This project was allied closely with measurements made of similar chemical species and aerosol components at a forest site in the Danum Valley as part of the UK Oxidant and Particle Photochemical Processes above a Southeast Asian tropical rainforest (OP3) project. Measurements of submicron non- refractory aerosol composition are presented along with some preliminary analysis of chemically resolved aerosol fluxes made with a new eddy covariance system, based on the

Heterogeneous Uptake of HO2 Radicals onto Atmospheric Aerosols

Science.gov (United States)

George, I. J.; Matthews, P. S.; Brooks, B.; Goddard, A.; Whalley, L. K.; Baeza-Romero, M. T.; Heard, D. E.

2011-12-01

The hydroxyl (OH) and hydroperoxyl (HO2) radicals, together known as HOx, play a vital role in atmospheric chemistry by controlling the oxidative capacity of the troposphere. The atmospheric lifetime and concentrations of many trace reactive species, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are determined by HOx radical levels. Therefore, the ability to accurately predict atmospheric HOx concentrations from a detailed knowledge of their sources and sinks is a very useful diagnostic tool to assess our current understanding of atmospheric chemistry. Several recent field studies have observed significantly lower concentrations of HO2 radicals than predicted using box models, where HO2 loss onto aerosols was suggested as a possible missing sink [1, 2]. However, the mechanism on HO2 uptake onto aerosols and its impact on ambient HOx levels are currently not well understood. To improve our understanding of this process, we have conducted laboratory experiments to measure HO2 uptake coefficients onto submicron aerosol particles. The FAGE (Fluorescence Assay by Gas Expansion) technique, a highly sensitive laser induced fluorescence based detection method, was used to monitor HO2 uptake kinetics onto aerosol particles in an aerosol flow tube. The application of the FAGE technique allowed for kinetic experiments to be performed under low HO2 concentrations, i.e. [HO2] atomizing dilute salt solutions or by homogeneous nucleation. HO2 uptake coefficients (γ) have been measured for single-component solid and aqueous inorganic salt and organic aerosol particles with a wide range of hygroscopicities. HO2 uptake coefficients on solid particles were below the detection limit (γ < 0.001), whereas on aqueous aerosols uptake coefficients were somewhat larger (γ = 0.001 - 0.008). HO2 uptake coefficients were highest on aerosols containing metal ions, such as Cu and Fe. Humidity and aerosol pH did not significantly impact the reactive HO2 uptake. Preliminary experiments have also

PIXE investigation of aerosol composition over the Zambian Copperbelt

Science.gov (United States)

Meter, S. L.; Formenti, P.; Piketh, S. J.; Annegarn, H. J.; Kneen, M. A.

1999-04-01

Atmospheric sulphate aerosol concentrations are of interest in climate change studies because of their negative climate forcing potential. Quantification of their forcing strength requires the compilation of global sulphur emission inventories to determine the magnitude of regional sources. We report on measurements of the ambient aerosol concentrations in proximity to a copper refinery in the central African Copperbelt, along the border of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This region is historically regarded as one of the largest African sources of sulphate aerosols. Sulphate is produced by oxidation in the atmosphere of SO 2 emitted during the pyrometallurgical processing of Cu-Co sulphide ores. Since the last quantification of sulphur emissions (late 1960s), there has been large-scale reduction in copper production and more frequent use of the leaching technique with negligible sulphur emissions. Samples were collected over four weeks, November-December 1996, at Kitwe, Zambia. A low volume two-stage time-resolving aerosol sampler (streaker) was used. Coarse and fine mode aerosols were separated at >2.5 and >10 μmad. Hourly elemental concentrations were determined by 3.2 MeV PIXE, and routinely yielded Si, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn, above detection limits. Si, K, Ca and Fe (major crustal components) dominated the coarse elemental mass. In the fine stage, S and Si accounted for up to 80% of the measured mass, and S alone up to 60%. Time series analysis allowed the division of sulphur and crustal elements (Si, K, Ca, Fe) between (i) background concentrations representative of synoptic scale air masses; and (ii) contributions from local sources, i.e., copper smelter and re-suspended soil dust. Short duration episodes of S concentrations, up to 26 μg/m 3, were found simultaneously with enhanced Cu, Fe and Zn. Contributions from individual pyrometallurgic processes and the cobalt slag dump could be distinguished from the elemental signatures

PIXE investigation of aerosol composition over the Zambian Copperbelt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meter, S.L.; Formenti, P.; Piketh, S.J.; Annegarn, H.J.; Kneen, M.A.

1999-01-01

Atmospheric sulphate aerosol concentrations are of interest in climate change studies because of their negative climate forcing potential. Quantification of their forcing strength requires the compilation of global sulphur emission inventories to determine the magnitude of regional sources. We report on measurements of the ambient aerosol concentrations in proximity to a copper refinery in the central African Copperbelt, along the border of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This region is historically regarded as one of the largest African sources of sulphate aerosols. Sulphate is produced by oxidation in the atmosphere of SO 2 emitted during the pyrometallurgical processing of Cu-Co sulphide ores. Since the last quantification of sulphur emissions (late 1960s), there has been large-scale reduction in copper production and more frequent use of the leaching technique with negligible sulphur emissions. Samples were collected over four weeks, November-December 1996, at Kitwe, Zambia. A low volume two-stage time-resolving aerosol sampler (streaker) was used. Coarse and fine mode aerosols were separated at >2.5 and >10 μmad. Hourly elemental concentrations were determined by 3.2 MeV PIXE, and routinely yielded Si, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn, above detection limits. Si, K, Ca and Fe (major crustal components) dominated the coarse elemental mass. In the fine stage, S and Si accounted for up to 80% of the measured mass, and S alone up to 60%. Time series analysis allowed the division of sulphur and crustal elements (Si, K, Ca, Fe) between (i) background concentrations representative of synoptic scale air masses; and (ii) contributions from local sources, i.e., copper smelter and re-suspended soil dust. Short duration episodes of S concentrations, up to 26 μg/m 3 , were found simultaneously with enhanced Cu, Fe and Zn. Contributions from individual pyrometallurgic processes and the cobalt slag dump could be distinguished from the elemental signatures

Aerosol Inlet Characterization Experiment Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bullard, Robert L. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Kuang, Chongai [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Uin, Janek [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Smith, Scott [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Springston, Stephen R. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2017-05-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility Aerosol Observation System inlet stack was characterized for particle penetration efficiency from 10 nm to 20 μm in diameter using duplicate scanning mobility particle sizers (10 nm-450 nm), ultra-high-sensitivity aerosol spectrometers (60 nm-μm), and aerodynamic particle sizers (0.5 μm-20 μm). Results show good model-measurement agreement and unit transmission efficiency of aerosols from 10 nm to 4 μm in diameter. Large uncertainties in the measured transmission efficiency exist above 4 μm due to low ambient aerosol signal in that size range.

Simulating Aerosol Size Distribution and Mass Concentration with Simultaneous Nucleation, Condensation/Coagulation, and Deposition with the GRAPES-CUACE

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Chunhong; Shen, Xiaojing; Liu, Zirui; Zhang, Yangmei; Xin, Jinyuan

2018-04-01

A coupled aerosol-cloud model is essential for investigating the formation of haze and fog and the interaction of aerosols with clouds and precipitation. One of the key tasks of such a model is to produce correct mass and number size distributions of aerosols. In this paper, a parameterization scheme for aerosol size distribution in initial emission, which took into account the measured mass and number size distributions of aerosols, was developed in the GRAPES-CUACE [Global/Regional Assimilation and PrEdiction System-China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Unified Atmospheric Chemistry Environment model]—an online chemical weather forecast system that contains microphysical processes and emission, transport, and chemical conversion of sectional multi-component aerosols. In addition, the competitive mechanism between nucleation and condensation for secondary aerosol formation was improved, and the dry deposition was also modified to be in consistent with the real depositing length. Based on the above improvements, the GRAPES-CUACE simulations were verified against observational data during 1-31 January 2013, when a series of heavy regional haze-fog events occurred in eastern China. The results show that the aerosol number size distribution from the improved experiment was much closer to the observation, whereas in the old experiment the number concentration was higher in the nucleation mode and lower in the accumulation mode. Meanwhile, the errors in aerosol number size distribution as diagnosed by its sectional mass size distribution were also reduced. Moreover, simulations of organic carbon, sulfate, and other aerosol components were improved and the overestimation as well as underestimation of PM2.5 concentration in eastern China was significantly reduced, leading to increased correlation coefficient between simulated and observed PM2.5 by more than 70%. In the remote areas where bad simulation results were produced previously, the correlation coefficient

Wintertime Ambient Ammonia Concentrations in Northern Utah's Urban Valleys

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, I. A.; Martin, R. S.; Silva, P.; Baasandorj, M.

2017-12-01

Many of the population centers in northern Utah are currently classified as non-attainment or serious non-attainment, Wasatch Front, for PM2.5 and previous studies have shown ammonium nitrate to often be the largest contributor to the particulate mass. Furthermore, measurements have shown several of the Wasatch Front cities and Cache Valley (UT/ID) consistently recorded some of the highest ambient ammonia (NH3) concentrations in the continental United States. As a part of the multi-organization 2017 Utah Winter Fine Particulate Study real-time NH3 concentrations were monitored in the Cache Valley at the Logan, UT site, collocated at an EPA sampling trailer near the Utah State University (USU) campus. A Picarro model G2508 was to used collect 5-sec averaged concentrations of NH3, carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) from January 16th to February 14th, 2017. Parts of three inversion events, wherein the PM2.5 concentrations approached or exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, were captured during the sampling period, including a 10-day event from January 25th to February 4th. Concentrations of all three of the observed species showed significant accumulation during the events, with NH3 concentrations ranging from below the detection limit (70 ppb. Preliminary analysis suggested the temporal NH3 changes tracked the increase in PM2.5 throughout the inversion events; however, a one-day period of NH3 depletion during the main inversion event was observed while PM2.5 continued to increase. Additionally, a network of passive NH3 samplers (Ogawa Model 3300) were arrayed at 25 sites throughout the Cache Valley and at 11 sites located along the Wasatch Front. These networks sampled for three 7-day periods, during the same study time frame. Ion chromatographic (IC) analyses of the sample pads are not yet finalized; however, preliminary results show concentrations in the tens of ppb and seemingly spatially correlate with previous studies showing elevated

Oxidative potential of secondary organic aerosols produced from photooxidation of different hydrocarbons using outdoor chamber under ambient sunlight

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Huanhuan; Jang, Myoseon; Sabo-Attwood, Tara; Robinson, Sarah E.

2016-04-01

The oxidative potential of various secondary organic aerosols (SOA) was measured using dithiothreitol (DTT) assay to understand how organic aerosols react with cellular materials. SOA was produced via the photooxidation of four different hydrocarbons (toluene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, isoprene and α-pinene) in the presence of NOx using a large outdoor photochemical smog chamber. The DTT consumption rate was normalized by the aerosol mass, which is expressed as DTTmass. Toluene SOA and isoprene SOA yielded higher DTTmass than 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene SOA or α-pinene SOA. In order to discover the correlation between the molecular structure and oxidative potential, the DTT responses of selected model compounds were also measured. Among them, conjugated aldehydes, quinones, and H2O2 showed considerable DTT response. To investigate the correlation between DTT response and cell responses in vitro, the expression of biological markers, i.e. IL-6, IL-8, and HMOX-1 were studied using small airway epithelial cells. Higher cellular expression of IL-8 was observed with toluene SOA exposure compared to 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene SOA exposure, which aligned with the results from DTT assay. Our study also suggests that within the urban atmosphere, the contribution of toluene SOA and isoprene SOA to the oxidative potential of ambient SOA will be more significant than that of α-pinene SOA.

Investigation about a possible correlation between the loading with environmental aerosols and the occurrence of child's lung disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kagerer, S. P.

1999-01-01

In the recent years the increase of respiratory diseases and allergies has been discussed extensively, both by experts and in the media, at the national and the international level. This rise of respiratory diseases and allergies has stimulated the search for potential causes. One of these presumed causes is the occurrence of environmental aerosols in ambient air. Within the framework of the present masters thesis it was attempted to correlate cause and effect for the city and province of Salzburg. For this purpose, aerosol measurements were carried out at a few selected places: Salzburg (Rudolfsplatz) as an urban area and Tamsweg and Hallein Winterstall as rural areas. A comparison of the results of these measurements between the three places indicates an unambiguous decrease of concentration of the particles in the air, from the city to the country side. This gradient in particle concentrations consistent with the frequency of respiratory diseases and allergies. It is therefore possible to suggest a relationship between the concentration of environmental aerosols in ambient air and the health effects considered in this study. However, I would like to point out that the results of the present masters thesis have some informative value, but it would still be necessary to confirm them by a greater number of measurements which were unfortunately not possible within the framework of the present work. (author)

Source apportionment of ambient particle number concentrations in central Los Angeles using positive matrix factorization (PMF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. H. Sowlat

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, the positive matrix factorization (PMF receptor model (version 5.0 was used to identify and quantify major sources contributing to particulate matter (PM number concentrations, using PM number size distributions in the range of 13 nm to 10 µm combined with several auxiliary variables, including black carbon (BC, elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC, PM mass concentrations, gaseous pollutants, meteorological, and traffic counts data, collected for about 9 months between August 2014 and 2015 in central Los Angeles, CA. Several parameters, including particle number and volume size distribution profiles, profiles of auxiliary variables, contributions of different factors in different seasons to the total number concentrations, diurnal variations of each of the resolved factors in the cold and warm phases, weekday/weekend analysis for each of the resolved factors, and correlation between auxiliary variables and the relative contribution of each of the resolved factors, were used to identify PM sources. A six-factor solution was identified as the optimum for the aforementioned input data. The resolved factors comprised nucleation, traffic 1, traffic 2 (with a larger mode diameter than traffic 1 factor, urban background aerosol, secondary aerosol, and soil/road dust. Traffic sources (1 and 2 were the major contributor to PM number concentrations, collectively making up to above 60 % (60.8–68.4 % of the total number concentrations during the study period. Their contribution was also significantly higher in the cold phase compared to the warm phase. Nucleation was another major factor significantly contributing to the total number concentrations (an overall contribution of 17 %, ranging from 11.7 to 24 %, with a larger contribution during the warm phase than in the cold phase. The other identified factors were urban background aerosol, secondary aerosol, and soil/road dust, with relative contributions of approximately 12�

Characteristics of regional aerosols: Southern Arizona and eastern Pacific Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Prabhakar, Gouri

Atmospheric aerosols impact the quality of our life in many direct and indirect ways. Inhalation of aerosols can have harmful effects on human health. Aerosols also have climatic impacts by absorbing or scattering solar radiation, or more indirectly through their interactions with clouds. Despite a better understanding of several relevant aerosol properties and processes in the past years, they remain the largest uncertainty in the estimate of global radiative forcing. The uncertainties arise because although aerosols are ubiquitous in the Earth's atmosphere they are highly variable in space, time and their physicochemical properties. This makes in-situ measurements of aerosols vital in our effort towards reducing uncertainties in the estimate of global radiative forcing due to aerosols. This study is an effort to characterize atmospheric aerosols at a regional scale, in southern Arizona and eastern Pacific Ocean, based on ground and airborne observations of aerosols. Metals and metalloids in particles with aerodynamic diameter (Dp) smaller than 2.5 μm are found to be ubiquitous in southern Arizona. The major sources of the elements considered in the study are identified to be crustal dust, smelting/mining activities and fuel combustion. The spatial and temporal variability in the mass concentrations of these elements depend both on the source strength and meteorological conditions. Aircraft measurements of aerosol and cloud properties collected during various field campaigns over the eastern Pacific Ocean are used to study the sources of nitrate in stratocumulus cloud water and the relevant processes. The major sources of nitrate in cloud water in the region are emissions from ships and wildfires. Different pathways for nitrate to enter cloud water and the role of meteorology in these processes are examined. Observations of microphysical properties of ambient aerosols in ship plumes are examined. The study shows that there is an enhancement in the number

Development and Characterization of a Thermodenuder for Aerosol Volatility Measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dr. Timothy Onasch

2009-09-09

This SBIR Phase I project addressed the critical need for improved characterization of carbonaceous aerosol species in the atmosphere. The proposed work focused on the development of a thermodenuder (TD) system capable of systematically measuring volatility profiles of primary and secondary organic aerosol species and providing insight into the effects of absorbing and nonabsorbing organic coatings on particle absorption properties. This work provided the fundamental framework for the generation of essential information needed for improved predictions of ambient aerosol loadings and radiative properties by atmospheric chemistry models. As part of this work, Aerodyne Research, Inc. (ARI) continued to develop and test, with the final objective of commercialization, an improved thermodenuder system that can be used in series with any aerosol instrument or suite of instruments (e.g., aerosol mass spectrometers-AMS, scanning mobility particle sizers-SMPS, photoacoustic absorption spectrometers-PAS, etc.) to obtain aerosol chemical, physical, and optical properties as a function of particle volatility. In particular, we provided the proof of concept for the direct coupling of our improved TD design with a full microphysical model to obtain volatility profiles for different organic aerosol components and to allow for meaningful comparisons between different TD-derived aerosol measurements. In a TD, particles are passed through a heated zone and a denuding (activated charcoal) zone to remove semi-volatile material. Changes in particle size, number concentration, optical absorption, and chemical composition are subsequently detected with aerosol instrumentation. The aerosol volatility profiles provided by the TD will strengthen organic aerosol emission inventories, provide further insight into secondary aerosol formation mechanisms, and provide an important measure of particle absorption (including brown carbon contributions and identification, and absorption enhancements

Sensor-less control of the methanol concentration of direct methanol fuel cells at varying ambient temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Myung-Gi; Mehmood, Asad; Ha, Heung Yong

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A new algorithm is proposed for the sensor-less control of methanol concentration. • Two different strategies are used depending on the ambient temperatures. • Energy efficiency of the DMFC system has been improved by using the new algorithm. - Abstract: A new version of an algorithm is used to control the methanol concentration in the feed of DMFC systems without using methanol sensors under varying ambient temperatures. The methanol concentration is controlled indirectly by controlling the temperature of the DMFC stack, which correlates well with the methanol concentration. Depending on the ambient temperature relative to a preset reference temperature, two different strategies are used to control the stack temperature: either reducing the cooling rate of the methanol solution passing through an anode-side heat exchanger; or, lowering the pumping rate of the pure methanol to the depleted feed solution. The feasibility of the algorithm is evaluated using a DMFC system that consists of a 200 W stack and the balance of plant (BOP). The DMFC system includes a sensor-less methanol controller that is operated using a LabView system as the central processing unit. The algorithm is experimentally confirmed to precisely control the methanol concentration and the stack temperature at target values under an environment of varying ambient temperatures

Water-soluble ions and carbon content of size-segregated aerosols in New Delhi, India: direct and indirect influences of firework displays.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Pawan; Kumar, Rakesh; Yadav, Sudesh

2016-10-01

The particle size distribution and water-soluble inorganic ion (WSII) and carbonaceous species in size-segregated aerosols, Dp firework displays in New Delhi, India. The firework activity had the maximum contribution to the mass loading of PM 0.95 (786 μg/m 3 ) followed by PM 0.95-1.5 (216 μg/m 3 ) with all other three fractions accounting to a total of 214 μg/m 3 . The percentage contributions of WSII to the total mass of aerosols were highest in first two size fractions (39 and 40 %, respectively), compared to other fractions. The firework marker ion (Mg 2+ , Cl - , and K + ) mass concentration shows higher values in PM 0.95 during Diwali compared to before Diwali period. The mass size distribution of particles, NH 4 + , K + , Cl - , SO 4 2- , Mg 2+ , and NO 3 - , also showed changes on the Diwali night compared to previous and after days. The high Cl - /Na + (5.6) and OC/EC (3.4) ratio of PM 0.95 can be used as the indicators of firework displays. The lowering of mixing height on Diwali night to 50 m compared to before (277 mts) and after (269 mts) Diwali period further concentrated the aerosols in ambient atmosphere. Therefore, the firework display not only released the gaseous or elemental constituent but also influenced the temperature profile and both put together result in high aerosol concentrations, WSII, OC, and BC contents in ambient atmosphere. The alveolar, respirable, and inhalable fractions accounted for 64.6, 90.8, and 97.8 %, respectively, of the total PM 10 mass. People stay exposed to such high pollution level in short span of 6-8 h and experience adverse health impacts due to high mass concentrations and the chemical components of fine aerosols.

Global Estimates of Average Ground-Level Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations from Satellite-Based Aerosol Optical Depth

Science.gov (United States)

Van Donkelaar, A.; Martin, R. V.; Brauer, M.; Kahn, R.; Levy, R.; Verduzco, C.; Villeneuve, P.

2010-01-01

Exposure to airborne particles can cause acute or chronic respiratory disease and can exacerbate heart disease, some cancers, and other conditions in susceptible populations. Ground stations that monitor fine particulate matter in the air (smaller than 2.5 microns, called PM2.5) are positioned primarily to observe severe pollution events in areas of high population density; coverage is very limited, even in developed countries, and is not well designed to capture long-term, lower-level exposure that is increasingly linked to chronic health effects. In many parts of the developing world, air quality observation is absent entirely. Instruments aboard NASA Earth Observing System satellites, such as the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), monitor aerosols from space, providing once daily and about once-weekly coverage, respectively. However, these data are only rarely used for health applications, in part because the can retrieve the amount of aerosols only summed over the entire atmospheric column, rather than focusing just on the near-surface component, in the airspace humans actually breathe. In addition, air quality monitoring often includes detailed analysis of particle chemical composition, impossible from space. In this paper, near-surface aerosol concentrations are derived globally from the total-column aerosol amounts retrieved by MODIS and MISR. Here a computer aerosol simulation is used to determine how much of the satellite-retrieved total column aerosol amount is near the surface. The five-year average (2001-2006) global near-surface aerosol concentration shows that World Health Organization Air Quality standards are exceeded over parts of central and eastern Asia for nearly half the year.

Spectral light absorption by ambient aerosols influenced by biomass burning in the Amazon Basin. I: Comparison and field calibration of absorption measurement techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Schmid

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Spectral aerosol light absorption is an important parameter for the assessment of the radiation budget of the atmosphere. Although on-line measurement techniques for aerosol light absorption, such as the Aethalometer and the Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP, have been available for two decades, they are limited in accuracy and spectral resolution because of the need to deposit the aerosol on a filter substrate before measurement. Recently, a 7-wavelength (λ Aethalometer became commercially available, which covers the visible (VIS to near-infrared (NIR spectral range (λ=450–950 nm, and laboratory calibration studies improved the degree of confidence in these measurement techniques. However, the applicability of the laboratory calibration factors to ambient conditions has not been investigated thoroughly yet. As part of the LBA-SMOCC (Large scale Biosphere atmosphere experiment in Amazonia – SMOke aerosols, Clouds, rainfall and Climate campaign from September to November 2002 in the Amazon basin we performed an extensive field calibration of a 1-λ PSAP and a 7-λ Aethalometer utilizing a photoacoustic spectrometer (PAS, 532 nm as reference device. Especially during the dry period of the campaign, the aerosol population was dominated by pyrogenic emissions. The most pronounced artifact of integrating-plate type attenuation techniques (e.g. Aethalometer, PSAP is due to multiple scattering effects within the filter matrix. For the PSAP, we essentially confirmed the laboratory calibration factor by Bond et al. (1999. On the other hand, for the Aethalometer we found a multiple scattering enhancement of 5.23 (or 4.55, if corrected for aerosol scattering, which is significantly larger than the factors previously reported (~2 for laboratory calibrations. While the exact reason for this discrepancy is unknown, the available data from the present and previous studies suggest aerosol mixing (internal versus external as a likely cause. For

Xanthoria parietina as a monitor of ground-level ambient ammonia concentrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Henrik Brinkmann; Berthelsen, Kasper; Andersen, Helle Vibeke

2010-01-01

Total nitrogen in transplanted and in situ lichen thalli of Xanthoria parietina were related to ambient ammonia air concentrations measured with passive ALPHA (Adapted Low-cost Passive High Absorption) diffusion samplers in Denmark. Transplants and ALPHA samplers were exposed four months in a tra...

Attachment of radon progeny to cigarette-smoke aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biermann, A.H.; Sawyer, S.R.

1995-05-01

The daughter products of radon gas are now recognized as a significant contributor to radiation exposure to the general public. It is also suspected that a synergistic effect exists with the combination cigarette smoking and radon exposure. We have conducted an experimental investigation to determine the physical nature of radon progeny interactions with cigarette smoke aerosols. The size distributions of the aerosols are characterized and attachment rates of radon progeny to cigarette-smoke aerosols are determined. Both the mainstream and sidestream portions of the smoke aerosol are investigated. Unattached radon progeny are very mobile and, in the presence of aerosols, readily attach to the particle surfaces. In this study, an aerosol chamber is used to contain the radon gas, progeny and aerosol mixture while allowing the attachment process to occur. The rate of attachment is dependent on the size distribution, or diffusion coefficient, of the radon progeny as well as the aerosol size distribution. The size distribution of the radon daughter products is monitored using a graded-screen diffusion battery. The diffusion battery also enables separation of the unattached radon progeny from those attached to the aerosol particles. Analysis of the radon decay products is accomplished using alpha spectrometry. The aerosols of interest are size fractionated with the aid of a differential mobility analyzer and cascade impactor. The measured attachment rates of progeny to the cigarette smoke are compared to those found in similar experiments using an ambient aerosol. The lowest attachment coefficients observed, ∼10 -6 cm 3 /s, occurred for the ambient aerosol. The sidestream and mainstream smoke aerosols exhibited higher attachment rates in that order. The results compared favorably with theories describing the coagulation process of aerosols

Aerosol composition and source apportionment in Santiago de Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Artaxo, Paulo; Oyola, Pedro; Martinez, Roberto

1999-04-01

Santiago de Chile, São Paulo and Mexico City are Latin American urban areas that suffer from heavy air pollution. In order to study air pollution in Santiago area, an aerosol source apportionment study was designed to measure ambient aerosol composition and size distribution for two downtown sampling sites in Santiago. The aerosol monitoring stations were operated in Gotuzo and Las Condes during July and August 1996. The study employed stacked filter units (SFU) for aerosol sampling, collecting fine mode aerosol (dpsource apportionment was performed using Absolute Principal Factor Analysis (APFA). Very high aerosol concentrations were observed (up to 400 μg/m 3 PM 10). The main aerosol particle sources in Santiago are resuspended soil dust and traffic emissions. Coarse particles account for 63% of PM 10 aerosol in Gotuzo and 53% in Las Condes. A major part of this component is resuspended soil dust. In the fine fraction, resuspended soil dust accounts for 15% of fine mass, and the aerosols associated with transportation activities account for a high 64% of the fine particle mass. Sulfate particle is an important component of the aerosol in Santiago, mainly originating from gas-to-particle conversion from SO 2. In the Gotuzo site, sulfates are the highest aerosol component, accounting for 64.5% of fine mass. Direct traffic emissions are generally mixed with resuspended soil dust. It is difficult to separate the two components, because the soil dust in downtown Santiago is contaminated with Pb, Br, Cl, and other heavy metals that are also tracers for traffic emissions. Residual oil combustion is observed, with the presence of V, S and Ni. An aerosol components from industrial emissions is also present, with the presence of several heavy metals such as Zn, Cu and others. A factor with molybdenum, arsenic, copper and sulfur was observed frequently, and it results from emissions of copper smelters.

Organic composition of carbonaceous aerosols in an aged prescribed fire plume

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B. Yan

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Aged smoke from a prescribed fire (dominated by conifers impacted Atlanta, GA on 28 February 2007 and dramatically increased hourly ambient concentrations of PM_2.5 and organic carbon (OC up to 140 and 72 μg m⁻³, respectively. It was estimated that over 1 million residents were exposed to the smoky air lasting from the late afternoon to midnight. To better understand the processes impacting the aging of fire plumes, a detailed chemical speciation of carbonaceous aerosols was conducted by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS analysis. Ambient concentrations of many organic species (levoglucosan, resin acids, retene, n-alkanes and n-alkanoic acids associated with wood burning emission were significantly elevated on the event day. Levoglucosan increased by a factor of 10, while hopanes, steranes, cholesterol and major polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs did not show obvious increases. Strong odd over even carbon number predominance was found for n-alkanes versus even over odd predominance for n-alkanoic acids. Alteration of resin acids during transport from burning sites to monitors is suggested by the observations. Our study also suggests that large quantities of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs and semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs were released both as products of combustion and unburned vegetation heated by the fire. Higher leaf temperature can stimulate biogenic VOC and SVOC emissions, which enhanced formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA in the atmosphere. This is supported by elevated ambient concentrations of secondary organic tracers (dicarboxylic acids, 2-methyltetrols, pinonic acid and pinic acid. An approximate source profile was built for the aged fire plume to help better understand evolution of wood smoke emission and for use in source impact assessment.

Characterization of organic aerosols in Beirut, Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waked, Antoine

2012-01-01

characterization of organic aerosols. Using these data, a source apportionment of organic aerosols was conducted for summer and winter. In summer, biogenic precursors such as monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were the major source of OC due to intensive solar radiation and high ambient temperatures that promote biogenic VOC emissions and photo-oxidation reactions. In winter, biomass burning was the major source of organic aerosols because of the intensive use of wood burning for heating. Finally, air pollutant concentrations in Beirut were simulated for July 2011 with the Polyphemus/Polair3D chemical-transport model (CTM). The emission inventory mentioned above was used as input to the model. Meteorological simulations were conducted with the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) using different configurations and the configuration leading to the best agreement with the observations was used to drive the air quality simulations. The simulated air pollutant concentrations were compared to the measured concentrations collected during the summer measurement campaign. The results show that the model reproduces satisfactorily the concentrations of ozone (O 3 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), and the major components of PM2.5. The differences obtained between the modeled and measured air pollutants concentrations are due in part to uncertainties in input data. Future studies should address the reduction of uncertainties such as those of the emission inventory. In addition, measurement campaigns involving several sites are needed to better characterize air pollution in Beirut and provide a more complete database to evaluate simulated air pollutant concentrations [fr

Organosulfates and organic acids in Arctic aerosols: Speciation, annual variation and concentration levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Anne Maria Kaldal; Kristensen, Kasper; Nguyen, Quynh

2014-01-01

organosulfates and 1 nitrooxy organosulfate were identified in aerosol samples from the two sites using a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) coupled to a quadrupole Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer. At Station Nord, compound concentrations followed a distinct annual pattern, where high mean...

The Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment – 2008 (FAME-08: an overview

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M. Pikridas

2010-07-01

Full Text Available A month (4 May to 8 June 2008 of ambient aerosol, air ion and gas phase sampling (Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment 2008, FAME-08 was conducted at Finokalia, on the island of Crete, Greece. The purpose of the study was to characterize the physical and chemical properties of aged aerosol and to investigate new particle formation. Measurements included aerosol and air ion size distributions, size-resolved chemical composition, organic aerosol thermal volatility, water uptake and particle optical properties (light scattering and absorption. Statistical analysis of the aerosol mass concentration variations revealed the absence of diurnal patterns suggesting the lack of strong local sources. Sulfates accounted for approximately half of the particulate matter less than 1 micrometer in diameter (PM₁ and organics for 28%. The PM₁ organic aerosol fraction was highly oxidized with 80% water soluble. The supermicrometer particles were dominated by crustal components (50%, sea salt (24% and nitrates (16%. The organic carbon to elemental carbon (OC/EC ratio correlated with ozone measurements but with a one-day lag. The average OC/EC ratio for the study period was equal to 5.4. For three days air masses from North Africa resulted in a 6-fold increase of particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM₁₀ and a decrease of the OC/EC ratio by a factor of 2. Back trajectory analysis, based on FLEXPART footprint plots, identified five source regions (Athens, Greece, Africa, other continental and marine, each of which influenced the PM₁ aerosol composition and properties. Marine air masses had the lowest PM₁ concentrations and air masses from the Balkans, Turkey and Eastern Europe the highest.

Predicting ambient aerosol thermal-optical reflectance (TOR) measurements from infrared spectra: organic carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Dillner, A. M.; Takahama, S.

2015-03-01

Organic carbon (OC) can constitute 50% or more of the mass of atmospheric particulate matter. Typically, organic carbon is measured from a quartz fiber filter that has been exposed to a volume of ambient air and analyzed using thermal methods such as thermal-optical reflectance (TOR). Here, methods are presented that show the feasibility of using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) absorbance spectra from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon) filters to accurately predict TOR OC. This work marks an initial step in proposing a method that can reduce the operating costs of large air quality monitoring networks with an inexpensive, non-destructive analysis technique using routinely collected PTFE filter samples which, in addition to OC concentrations, can concurrently provide information regarding the composition of organic aerosol. This feasibility study suggests that the minimum detection limit and errors (or uncertainty) of FT-IR predictions are on par with TOR OC such that evaluation of long-term trends and epidemiological studies would not be significantly impacted. To develop and test the method, FT-IR absorbance spectra are obtained from 794 samples from seven Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environment (IMPROVE) sites collected during 2011. Partial least-squares regression is used to calibrate sample FT-IR absorbance spectra to TOR OC. The FTIR spectra are divided into calibration and test sets by sampling site and date. The calibration produces precise and accurate TOR OC predictions of the test set samples by FT-IR as indicated by high coefficient of variation (R2; 0.96), low bias (0.02 μg m-3, the nominal IMPROVE sample volume is 32.8 m3), low error (0.08 μg m-3) and low normalized error (11%). These performance metrics can be achieved with various degrees of spectral pretreatment (e.g., including or excluding substrate contributions to the absorbances) and are comparable in precision to collocated TOR measurements. FT-IR spectra are also

The effects of isoprene and NOx on secondary organic aerosols formed through reversible and irreversible uptake to aerosol water

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El-Sayed, Marwa M. H.; Ortiz-Montalvo, Diana L.; Hennigan, Christopher J.

2018-01-01

Isoprene oxidation produces water-soluble organic gases capable of partitioning to aerosol liquid water. The formation of secondary organic aerosols through such aqueous pathways (aqSOA) can take place either reversibly or irreversibly; however, the split between these fractions in the atmosphere is highly uncertain. The aim of this study was to characterize the reversibility of aqSOA formed from isoprene at a location in the eastern United States under substantial influence from both anthropogenic and biogenic emissions. The reversible and irreversible uptake of water-soluble organic gases to aerosol water was characterized in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, using measurements of particulate water-soluble organic carbon (WSOCp) in alternating dry and ambient configurations. WSOCp evaporation with drying was observed systematically throughout the late spring and summer, indicating reversible aqSOA formation during these times. We show through time lag analyses that WSOCp concentrations, including the WSOCp that evaporates with drying, peak 6 to 11 h after isoprene concentrations, with maxima at a time lag of 9 h. The absolute reversible aqSOA concentrations, as well as the relative amount of reversible aqSOA, increased with decreasing NOx / isoprene ratios, suggesting that isoprene epoxydiol (IEPOX) or other low-NOx oxidation products may be responsible for these effects. The observed relationships with NOx and isoprene suggest that this process occurs widely in the atmosphere, and is likely more important in other locations characterized by higher isoprene and/or lower NOx levels. This work underscores the importance of accounting for both reversible and irreversible uptake of isoprene oxidation products to aqueous particles.

Aerosol Particle Interfacial Thermodynamics and Phase Partitioning Measurements Using Biphasic Microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Dutcher, Cari; Metcalf, Andrew

2015-03-01

Secondary organic aerosol particles are nearly ubiquitous in the atmosphere and yet there remain large uncertainties in their formation processes and ambient properties. These particles are complex microenvironments, which can contain multiple interfaces due to internal aqueous-organic phase partitioning and to the external liquid-vapor surface. Interfacial properties affect the ambient aerosol morphology, or internal structure of the particle, which in turn can affect the way a particle interacts with an environment of condensable clusters and organic vapors. To improve our ability to accurately predict ambient aerosol morphology, we must improve our knowledge of aerosol interfaces and their interactions with the ambient environment. Unfortunately, many techniques employed to measure interfacial properties do so in bulk solutions or in the presence of a ternary (e.g. solid) phase. In this talk, a novel method using biphasic microscale flows will be introduced for generating, trapping, and perturbing complex interfaces at atmospherically relevant conditions. These microfluidic experiments utilize high-speed imaging to monitor interfacial phenomena at the microscale and are performed with phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy on a temperature-controlled inverted microscope stage. From these experiments, interfacial thermodynamic properties such as surface or interfacial tension, rheological properties such as interfacial moduli, and kinetic properties such as mass transfer coefficients can be measured or inferred.

Chemical characteristics of ambient aerosols contributed by cooking process at Noorpur village near New Delhi

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sudha

Generally, industrial and transport sectors are considered as major contributors of air pollution but recently, biomass burning is also reported as a major source of atmospheric aerosols (1, 2) especially in the developing world where solid fuels such as dung cake, wood and crop residues are used in traditional cooking which are responsible for poor air quality, respiratory problems and radiative forcing etc .In India, most of the research has been focused on emission estimates from biomass burning and cooking. No effort has been made to understand the chemistry and sources of fine aerosols in rural areas during cooking hours. This study fills this knowledge gap and strengthens our understanding about abundance of various chemical constituents of atmospheric aerosols emitted during cooking hours.Aerosol samples were collected from village called Noorpur (28.470 N, 77.030 E) which lies near Delhi city. Sampling was carried out during August 2011-May 2012 by using handy sampler (Envirotech model APM 821) installed at the terrace of a building (~6m). The aerosol samples were collected on 8 hourly basis at a flow rate of 1 LPM. Water extracts of these filters were analyzed for major anions (F-, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-) and major cations (Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+ Mg2+) by ion chromatography (Metrohm 883 Basic IC Plus). During cooking period, the concentration of the major ions followed the order of Ca2+> SO42-> NO3-> Cl-> K+> NH4+> Mg2+> Na2+> F-. Among anion SO42 (5 µg/m3) showed highest value and in case of cations Ca2+ (7.32µg/m3) has highest value.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the Ambient Air Of Concentration Unit of Sar-Cheshmeh Copper Complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faghihi-Zrandi, A.; Akhgar, M. R.

2016-01-01

Air pollutants including gases, vapors and particles, are emitted from different sources. Volatile organic compounds are the most important pollutants in the ambient air of industries. The present study was carried out to identify and measurement of volatile organic compounds in concentration unit of Sar-Cheshmeh Copper Complex. In this study, sampling of the volatile organic compounds was done by using activated charcoal tube. To identify and measure these compounds gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy were used. Thirteen volatile organic compounds were identified in the ambient air of concentration unit. Among these compounds, the mean value and maximum concentration of isopropyl alcohol and nonane were 255, 640 μg/m3 and 1577, 14400 μg/m3, respectively. By using SPSS software and independent sample t- test, showed that there were no significant difference between mean value concentration of isopropyl alcohol and nonane in the ambient air and TLV values of these compounds (isopropyl alcohol; 200 ppm and nonane; 200 ppm) (P >0.05).

Baseline ambient gaseous ammonia concentrations in the Four Corners area and eastern Oklahoma, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Sather, Mark E; Mathew, Johnson; Nguyen, Nghia; Lay, John; Golod, George; Vet, Robert; Cotie, Joseph; Hertel, Terry; Aaboe, Erik; Callison, Ryan; Adam, Jacque; Keese, Danielle; Freise, Jeremy; Hathcoat, April; Sakizzie, Brenda; King, Michael; Lee, Chris; Oliva, Sylvia; San Miguel, George; Crow, Leon; Geasland, Frank

2008-11-01

Ambient ammonia monitoring using Ogawa passive samplers was conducted in the Four Corners area and eastern Oklahoma, USA during 2007. The resulting data will be useful in the multipollutant management of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and visibility (atmospheric regional haze) in the Four Corners area, an area with growing oil/gas production and increasing coal-based power plant construction. The passive monitoring data also add new ambient ammonia concentration information for the U.S. and will be useful to scientists involved in present and future visibility modeling exercises. Three week integrated passive ammonia samples were taken at five sites in the Four Corners area and two sites in eastern Oklahoma from December, 2006 through December, 2007 (January, 2008 for two sites). Results show significantly higher regional background ammonia concentrations in eastern Oklahoma (1.8 parts per billion (ppb) arithmetic mean) compared to the Four Corners area (0.2 ppb arithmetic mean). Annual mean ammonia concentrations for all Four Corners area sites for the 2007 study ranged from 0.2 ppb to 1.5 ppb. Peak ambient ammonia concentrations occurred in the spring and summer in both areas. The passive samplers deployed at the Stilwell, Oklahoma site compared favorably with other passive samplers and a continuous ammonia monitoring instrument.

Estimated effects of temperature on secondary organic aerosol concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheehan, P E; Bowman, F M

2001-06-01

The temperature-dependence of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentrations is explored using an absorptive-partitioning model under a variety of simplified atmospheric conditions. Experimentally determined partitioning parameters for high yield aromatics are used. Variation of vapor pressures with temperature is assumed to be the main source of temperature effects. Known semivolatile products are used to define a modeling range of vaporization enthalpy of 10-25 kcal/mol-1. The effect of diurnal temperature variations on model predictions for various assumed vaporization enthalpies, precursor emission rates, and primary organic concentrations is explored. Results show that temperature is likely to have a significant influence on SOA partitioning and resulting SOA concentrations. A 10 degrees C decrease in temperature is estimated to increase SOA yields by 20-150%, depending on the assumed vaporization enthalpy. In model simulations, high daytime temperatures tend to reduce SOA concentrations by 16-24%, while cooler nighttime temperatures lead to a 22-34% increase, compared to constant temperature conditions. Results suggest that currently available constant temperature partitioning coefficients do not adequately represent atmospheric SOA partitioning behavior. Air quality models neglecting the temperature dependence of partitioning are expected to underpredict peak SOA concentrations as well as mistime their occurrence.

Wide-range particle characterization and elemental concentration in Beijing aerosol during the 2013 Spring Festival.

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Hui; Li, Yu-Feng; Zhao, Jiating; Li, Bai; Sun, Jialong; Chen, Rui; Gao, Yuxi; Chen, Chunying

2014-09-01

The number and mass concentration, size distribution, and the concentration of 16 elements were studied in aerosol samples during the Spring Festival celebrations in 2013 in Beijing, China. Both the number and mass concentration increased sharply in a wide range from 10 nm to 10 μm during the firecrackers and fireworks activities. The prominent increase of the number concentration was in 50 nm-500 nm with a peak of 1.7 × 10(5)/cm(3) at 150 nm, which is 8 times higher than that after 1.5 h. The highest mass concentration was in 320-560 nm, which is 4 times higher than the control. K, Mg, Sr, Ba and Pb increased sharply during the firework activities in PM10. Although the aerosol emission from firework activities is a short-term air quality degradation event, there may be a substantial hazard arising from the chemical composition of the emitted particles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ambient Aerosols in the Southern Hemisphere on Ascension Island during the LASIC Campaign: Biomass Burning Season versus Near Pristine Background Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Aiken, A. C.; Springston, S. R.; Watson, T. B.; Sedlacek, A. J., III; Zuidema, P.; Adebiyi, A. A.; Uin, J.; Kuang, C.; Flynn, C. J.

2017-12-01

Ascension Island is located 8 degrees South of the Equator and 15 degrees West Longitude in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, at least 1000 miles from any major shoreline and closest to the continent of Africa. While low Southern Hemisphere background aerosol and trace gas measurements are observed most of the year, that picture changes during the South African Biomass Burning (BB) season. BB emissions are a large source of carbon to the atmosphere via particles and gas phase species and with a potential rise in drought and extreme events in the future, these numbers are expected to increase. From approximately June-October every year, the plume of South African BB emissions, the largest BB source in the world, are advected West and are known to impact both the boundary layer and free troposphere at Ascension Island (Zuidema et al., 2016). During the U.S. DOE ARM field campaign, Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds (LASIC), aerosol and trace gas measurements were collected continuously from June 2016 through October 2017 over a 1.5 year period. Two BB seasons are contrasted with the near pristine background conditions during the campaign from the ARM Aerosol Mobile Facility 1 (AMF1) and Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS). Numerous direct in situ aerosol and trace gas measurements are presented, e.g. black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), PM1 and PM10 aerosol absorption and scattering, submicron non-refractory chemical composition (Organics, Sulfate, Nitrate, Ammonium, Chloride), etc. Aerosol and trace gas signatures are investigated along with backtrajectories to identify sources. Carbonaceous aerosols emitted with gas-phase CO are used to determine particulate emission ratios along with intrinsic and extrinsic aerosol properties. BC mass concentrations reach 1 µg m-3 during multiday plumes and exceed 25% of the total aerosol submicron mass concentration. Organic Aerosol (OA) to BC Ratios of 2.4 in the plume are much higher than previously

Characterization and sources assignation of PM2.5 organic aerosol in a rural area of Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Pindado, Oscar; Pérez, Rosa M. a.; García, Susana; Sánchez, Miguel; Galán, Pilar; Fernández, Marta

The results from a year-long study of the organic composition of PM2.5 aerosol collected in a rural area influenced by a highway of Spain are reported. The lack of prior information related to the organic composition of PM2.5 aerosol in Spain, concretely in rural areas, led definition of the goals of this study. As a result, this work has been able to characterize the main organic components of atmospheric aerosols, including several compounds of SOA, and has conducted a multivariate analysis in order to assign sources of particulate matter. A total of 89 samples were taken between April 2004 and April 2005 using a high-volume sampler. Features and abundance of n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alcohols and acids were separately determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography analysis. The Σ n-alkane and ΣPAHs ranged from 3 to 81 ng m -3 and 0.1 to 6 ng m -3 respectively, with higher concentrations during colder months. Ambient concentrations of Σalcohols and Σacids ranged from 21 to 184 ng m -3 and 39 to 733 ng m -3, respectively. Also, several components of secondary organic aerosol have been quantified, confirming the biogenic contribution to ambient aerosol. In addition, factor analysis was used to reveal origin of organic compounds associated to particulate matter. Eight factors were extracted accounting more than 83% of the variability in the original data. These factors were assigned to a typical high pollution episode by anthropogenic particles, crustal material, plant waxes, fossil fuel combustion, temperature, microbiological emissions, SOA and dispersion of pollutants by wind action. Finally, a cluster analysis was used to compare the organic composition between the four seasons.

Tropospheric Vertical Profiles of Aerosol Optical, Microphysical and Concentration Properties in the Frame of the Hygra-CD Campaign (Athens, Greece 2014: A Case Study of Long-Range Transport of Mixed Aerosols

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Papayannis Alexandros

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Combined multi-wavelength aerosol Raman lidar and sun photometry measurements were performed during the HYGRA-CD campaign over Athens, Greece during May-June 2014. The retrieved aerosol optical properties (3 aerosol backscatter at 355-532-1064 nm and 2 aerosol extinction profiles at 355-532 nm were used as input to an inversion code to retrieve the aerosol microphysical properties (effective radius reff and number concentration N using regularization techniques. Additionally, the volume concentration profile was derived for fine particles using the LIRIC code. In this paper we selected a complex case study of long-range transport of mixed aerosols (biomass burning particles mixed with dust arriving over Athens between 10-12 June 2014 in the 1.5-4 km height. Between 2-3 km height we measured mean lidar ratios (LR ranging from 45 to 58 sr (at 355 and 532 nm, while the Ångström exponent (AE aerosol extinction-related values (355nm/532nm ranged between 0.8-1.3. The retrieved values of reff and N ranged from 0.19±0.07 to 0.22±0.07 μm and 460±230 to 2200±2800 cm-3, respectively. The aerosol linear depolarization ratio (δ at 532 nm was lower than 5-7% (except for the Saharan dust cases, where δ~10-15%.

Modelling organic aerosol concentrations and properties during ChArMEx summer campaigns of 2012 and 2013 in the western Mediterranean region

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M. Chrit

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In the framework of the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment, a measurement site was set up at a remote site (Ersa on Corsica Island in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Measurement campaigns performed during the summers of 2012 and 2013 showed high organic aerosol concentrations, mostly from biogenic origin. This work aims to represent the organic aerosol concentrations and properties (oxidation state and hydrophilicity using the air-quality model Polyphemus with a surrogate approach for secondary organic aerosol (SOA formation. Biogenic precursors are isoprene, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. In this work, the following model oxidation products of monoterpenes are added: (i a carboxylic acid (MBTCA to represent multi-generation oxidation products in the low-NOx regime, (ii organic nitrate chemistry and (iii extremely low-volatility organic compounds (ELVOCs formed by ozonolysis. The model shows good agreement of measurements of organic concentrations for both 2012 and 2013 summer campaigns. The modelled oxidation property and hydrophilic organic carbon properties of the organic aerosols also agree reasonably well with the measurements. The influence of the different chemical processes added to the model on the oxidation level of organics is studied. Measured and simulated water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC concentrations show that even at a remote site next to the sea, about 64 % of the organic carbon is soluble. The concentrations of WSOC vary with the origins of the air masses and the composition of organic aerosols. The marine organic emissions only contribute to a few percent of the organic mass in PM1, with maxima above the sea.

Modelling organic aerosol concentrations and properties during ChArMEx summer campaigns of 2012 and 2013 in the western Mediterranean region

Science.gov (United States)

Chrit, Mounir; Sartelet, Karine; Sciare, Jean; Pey, Jorge; Marchand, Nicolas; Couvidat, Florian; Sellegri, Karine; Beekmann, Matthias

2017-10-01

In the framework of the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment, a measurement site was set up at a remote site (Ersa) on Corsica Island in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Measurement campaigns performed during the summers of 2012 and 2013 showed high organic aerosol concentrations, mostly from biogenic origin. This work aims to represent the organic aerosol concentrations and properties (oxidation state and hydrophilicity) using the air-quality model Polyphemus with a surrogate approach for secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Biogenic precursors are isoprene, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. In this work, the following model oxidation products of monoterpenes are added: (i) a carboxylic acid (MBTCA) to represent multi-generation oxidation products in the low-NOx regime, (ii) organic nitrate chemistry and (iii) extremely low-volatility organic compounds (ELVOCs) formed by ozonolysis. The model shows good agreement of measurements of organic concentrations for both 2012 and 2013 summer campaigns. The modelled oxidation property and hydrophilic organic carbon properties of the organic aerosols also agree reasonably well with the measurements. The influence of the different chemical processes added to the model on the oxidation level of organics is studied. Measured and simulated water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) concentrations show that even at a remote site next to the sea, about 64 % of the organic carbon is soluble. The concentrations of WSOC vary with the origins of the air masses and the composition of organic aerosols. The marine organic emissions only contribute to a few percent of the organic mass in PM1, with maxima above the sea.

Concentration of elements in atmospheric aerosol in Bratislava

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meresova, J.; Florek, M.; Holy, K.; Sykora, I.; Frontasyeva, M.V.; Pavlov, S.S.

2006-01-01

The concentrations of 41 chemical elements (heavy metals, rare earths, and actinides) were determined in atmospheric aerosol using nuclear and related analytical techniques. The sampling location in Bratislava (Slovak Republic). The main goal of this study is the quantification of the atmospheric pollution and its trend. The elemental content in filters was measured using instrumental neutron activation analysis at IBR-2 reactor in JINR Dubna and by atomic absorption spectrometry in Bratislava. The obtained results confirm the decreasing trend of pollution by most of the heavy metals in Bratislava atmosphere, and they are compared with the contents of pollutants in atmosphere of other cities. We determined also the composition of clear filter materials. (Authors)

Exposure to aerosol and gaseous pollutants in a room ventilated with mixing air distribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bivolarova, Mariya Petrova; Ondráček, Jakub; Ždímal, Vladimír

2016-01-01

The present study investigates the aerosol and gas dispersal in a mechanically ventilated room and the personal exposure to these contaminants. The study was performed in a full-scale climate chamber. The room was air conditioned via mixing total volume ventilation system. The room occupancy was ...... of the thermal manikin were measured. The results showed higher exposure to the contaminants measured at the breathing zone than at the ambient air. The behaviour of the tracer gas and the aerosols was similar.......The present study investigates the aerosol and gas dispersal in a mechanically ventilated room and the personal exposure to these contaminants. The study was performed in a full-scale climate chamber. The room was air conditioned via mixing total volume ventilation system. The room occupancy...... was simulated by a sitting dressed thermal manikin with realistic body shape. During the experiments monodisperse aerosols of three sizes and nitrous oxide tracer gas were generated simultaneously from one location in the room. The aerosol and gas concentrations in the bulk room air and in the breathing zone...

Physical metrology of aerosols; Metrologie physique des aerosols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boulaud, D.; Vendel, J. [CEA Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Inst. de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire

1996-12-31

The various detection and measuring methods for aerosols are presented, and their selection is related to aerosol characteristics (size range, concentration or mass range), thermo-hydraulic conditions (carrier fluid temperature, pressure and flow rate) and to the measuring system conditions (measuring frequency, data collection speed, cost...). Methods based on aerosol dynamic properties (inertial, diffusional and electrical methods) and aerosol optical properties (localized and integral methods) are described and their performances and applications are compared

Real-time measurement of aerosol particle concentration at high temperatures; Hiukkaspitoisuuden reaaliaikainen mittaaminen korkeassa laempoetilassa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keskinen, J; Hautanen, J; Laitinen, A [Tampere Univ. of Technology (Finland). Physics

1997-10-01

The aim of this project is to develop a new method for continuous aerosol particle concentration measurement at elevated temperatures (up to 800-1000 deg C). The measured property of the aerosol particles is the so called Fuchs surface area. This quantity is relevant for diffusion limited mass transfer to particles. The principle of the method is as follows. First, aerosol particles are charged electrically by diffusion charging process. The charging takes place at high temperature. After the charging, aerosol is diluted and cooled. Finally, aerosol particles are collected and the total charge carried by the aerosol particles is measured. Particle collection and charge measurement take place at low temperature. Benefits of this measurement method are: particles are charged in-situ, charge of the particles is not affected by the temperature and pressure changes after sampling, particle collection and charge measurement are carried out outside the process conditions, and the measured quantity is well defined. The results of this study can be used when the formation of the fly ash particles is studied. Another field of applications is the study and the development of gasification processes. Possibly, the method can also be used for the monitoring the operation of the high temperature particle collection devices. (orig.)

Study on element concentrations in aerosol in ambient air from Phnom Penh, Cambodia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashima, Yuji; Sakai, Haruya; Matsui, Mitsuaki

2004-01-01

In order to accumulate basic information necessary for reduction of suspended particle materials (SPM) in Phnom Penh, various element concentrations were measured with ICP-mass spectrometry and neutron activation analysis, and some their sources were estimated. SPM were collected at a roadside area in the middle of the City (1 point, 11 samples of 24 hours and 14 samples of 7 ∼ 16 hours) and two residence areas (2 points, 13 samples of 24 hours and 1 sample of 16 hours) with membrane filters of air samplers set at the level of 8∼9 m height. For research SPM sources, two kinds of comparative samples were also collected from roadside dust and soil (2 points, 9 samples) and from exhaust deposit of vehicles (bicycle 11, gasoline automobile 7, diesel car 10 samples) and electric generator (6 samples). SPM concentrations measured were 67∼1,000 μg/m 3 (average 410 μg/m 3 ). The concentrations in the roadside area were several times higher than in the residence area. Toxic element concentrations were all higher in roadside with an exception of Cd. The concentrations of Pb was 44 ng/m 3 on the average, amounting to 1/10 of WHO Guidelines. Comparing element concentrations of SPM with those of the soils and deposits, factor analysis using 18 elements including Ba, V, Pb suggests three major sources of soil, vehicle exhaust, and oil burning. (H. Yokoo)

The fifth Finnish national aerosol symposium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikkanen, P.; Haemeri, K.; Kauppinen, E.

1993-01-01

The Fifth Finnish Aerosol Symposium was held June 1-3, 1993. Symposium is jointly organized by FAAR, Aerosol Technology Group of Technical Research Centre of Finland and Helsinki University, Department of Physics. Aerosols, the suspensions of solid and liquid particles and gases, are receiving increasing importance in many areas of science and technology. These include industrial hygiene, ambient and indoor air pollution, pollution control technologies, cloud physics, nuclear safety engineering, combustion science and engineering, clean manufacturing technologies and material processing. The importance of aerosol issues during the development of advanced fuel conversion and material processing technologies can be realized when looking at the numerous papers presented on these topics at the Symposium

Effect of increases in lung volume on clearance of aerosolized solute from human lungs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marks, J.D.; Luce, J.M.; Lazar, N.M.; Wu, J.N.; Lipavsky, A.; Murray, J.F.

1985-10-01

To study the effect of increases in lung volume on solute uptake, we measured clearance of /sup 99m/Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Tc-DTPA) at different lung volumes in 19 healthy humans. Seven subjects inhaled aerosols (1 micron activity median aerodynamic diam) at ambient pressure; clearance and functional residual capacity (FRC) were measured at ambient pressure (control) and at increased lung volume produced by positive pressure (12 cmH2O continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)) or negative pressure (voluntary breathing). Six different subjects inhaled aerosol at ambient pressure; clearance and FRC were measured at ambient pressure and CPAP of 6, 12, and 18 cmH2O pressure. Six additional subjects inhaled aerosol at ambient pressure or at CPAP of 12 cmH2O; clearance and FRC were determined at CPAP of 12 cmH2O. According to the results, Tc-DTPA clearance from human lungs is accelerated exponentially by increases in lung volume, this effect occurs whether lung volume is increased by positive or negative pressure breathing, and the effect is the same whether lung volume is increased during or after aerosol administration. The effect of lung volume must be recognized when interpreting the results of this method.

Effect of increases in lung volume on clearance of aerosolized solute from human lungs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marks, J.D.; Luce, J.M.; Lazar, N.M.; Wu, J.N.; Lipavsky, A.; Murray, J.F.

1985-01-01

To study the effect of increases in lung volume on solute uptake, we measured clearance of /sup 99m/Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Tc-DTPA) at different lung volumes in 19 healthy humans. Seven subjects inhaled aerosols (1 micron activity median aerodynamic diam) at ambient pressure; clearance and functional residual capacity (FRC) were measured at ambient pressure (control) and at increased lung volume produced by positive pressure [12 cmH 2 O continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)] or negative pressure (voluntary breathing). Six different subjects inhaled aerosol at ambient pressure; clearance and FRC were measured at ambient pressure and CPAP of 6, 12, and 18 cmH 2 O pressure. Six additional subjects inhaled aerosol at ambient pressure or at CPAP of 12 cmH 2 O; clearance and FRC were determined at CPAP of 12 cmH 2 O. According to the results, Tc-DTPA clearance from human lungs is accelerated exponentially by increases in lung volume, this effect occurs whether lung volume is increased by positive or negative pressure breathing, and the effect is the same whether lung volume is increased during or after aerosol administration. The effect of lung volume must be recognized when interpreting the results of this method

Derivation of Aerosol Columnar Mass from MODIS Optical Depth

Science.gov (United States)

Gasso, Santiago; Hegg, Dean A.

2003-01-01

In order to verify performance, aerosol transport models (ATM) compare aerosol columnar mass (ACM) with those derived from satellite measurements. The comparison is inherently indirect since satellites derive optical depths and they use a proportionality constant to derive the ACM. Analogously, ATMs output a four dimensional ACM distribution and the optical depth is linearly derived. In both cases, the proportionality constant requires a direct intervention of the user by prescribing the aerosol composition and size distribution. This study introduces a method that minimizes the direct user intervention by making use of the new aerosol products of MODIS. A parameterization is introduced for the derivation of columnar aerosol mass (AMC) and CCN concentration (CCNC) and comparisons between sunphotometer, MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) and in-measurements are shown. The method still relies on the scaling between AMC and optical depth but the proportionality constant is dependent on the MODIS derived r$_{eff}$,\\eta (contribution of the accumulation mode radiance to the total radiance), ambient RH and an assumed constant aerosol composition. The CCNC is derived fkom a recent parameterization of CCNC as a function of the retrieved aerosol volume. By comparing with in-situ data (ACE-2 and TARFOX campaigns), it is shown that retrievals in dry ambient conditions (dust) are improved when using a proportionality constant dependent on r$ {eff}$ and \\eta derived in the same pixel. In high humidity environments, the improvement inthe new method is inconclusive because of the difficulty in accounting for the uneven vertical distribution of relative humidity. Additionally, two detailed comparisons of AMC and CCNC retrieved by the MAS algorithm and the new method are shown. The new method and MAS retrievals of AMC are within the same order of magnitude with respect to the in-situ measurements of aerosol mass. However, the proposed method is closer to the in-situ measurements than

Organics, Meteoritic Material, and other Elements in High Altitude Aerosols

Science.gov (United States)

Mahoney, M.; Murphy, D. M.; Thomson, D. S.

1998-01-01

Recent in situ measurements of the chemical composition of single aerosol particles at altitudes up to 19 km have revealed a number of surprising features about ambient particles. Upper tropospheric aerosols in the study region often contained more organic material than sulfate.

Temporal variations in elemental concentrations of atmospheric aerosols in Mexico City

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aldape U, F.

1992-05-01

Measurements are reported of elemental concentrations of airborne particulates in Mexico City and their time variation over a one-week period in the spring of 1988. Proton-induced X-ray emission analysis, PIXE, was used to analyse the atmospheric aerosols which were bombarded with 2.5 MeV protons from the 12 MV Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator at the National Institute of Nuclear Research, ININ. Variations in the elemental concentrations were observed over the time period studied. An intercomparison was made in the case of the element lead with PIXE results obtained at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory, CNL, University of California for the same set of samples. Excellent agreement was obtained both for the time variation of the relative concentration and the absolute lead concentrations. These results give added confidence to the protocol adopted at ININ. (Author)

Assessment of nicotine concentration in electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) liquids and precision of dosing to aerosol.

Science.gov (United States)

Kosmider, Leon; Sobczak, Andrzej; Szołtysek-Bołdys, Izabela; Prokopowicz, Adam; Skórka, Agnieszka; Abdulafeez, Oluyadi; Koszowski, Bartosz

2015-01-01

Global use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; also called electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes) has increased dramatically in recent years. However, due to the limited safety studies and growing concerns on the potential toxicity from long term use of ENDS, many national and international governments have employed regulatory measures to curtail its use. One of the most significant challenges regulators of ENDS encounter is the lack of quality standards to assess ENDS, e-liquid (solution used with ENDS which contain nicotine--a highly toxic and addictive substance), and amount of nicotine delivery to aerosol during ENDS use. Aims of the study were to (1) measure and compare nicotine concentration in e-liquids to values reported by manufacturers on packaging labels; (2) assess the precision of nicotine delivery from tank during aerosol formation. Methods: Nine popular Polish e-liquids (based on the market share data from October 2014) were purchased for the study. The labelled nicotine concentration for the selected e-liquids ranged between 11-25 mg/mL. All e-liquids were aerosolized in the laboratory using a smoking simulation machine (Palaczbot). Each e-liquid was aerosolized in a series of 6 consecutive bouts. A single bout consisted of 15 puffs with the following puff topography: 65 mL puff volume, 2.8 sec. puff duration, and 19 sec. interpuff interval. A total of 90 puffs were generated from each e-liquid. Nicotine content in the e-liquids and the aerosol generated were determined by gas chromatography with thermionic sensitive detection (GC-TSD). For seven of nine analyzed e-liquids, the difference between measured and manufacturer labeled nicotine concentration was less than 10%. Nicotine dose in aerosol per bout ranged between 0.77-1.49 mg (equivalent to one-half the nicotine a smoker inhales from a single combustible cigarette). Our analysis showed the high consistency between the labeled and measured nicotine concentration for popular on the

Daily and seasonal variation of aerosol concentration in the atmosphere near the surface in continental climate of Siberia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koutsenogii, P [Inst. of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

1996-12-31

Novosibirsk region is the area in southern part of West-Siberian lowland, covering about 200,000 km{sup 2}. The properties of atmospheric aerosol in Novosibirsk region were studied during few campaigns in the years 1992 and 1993, one complex expedition in Summer of 1994 and durable observations in Akademgorodok in the years 1993, 1994. Akademgorodok is situated 25 km S from the city Novosibirsk, has population of about 100,000 and no industry. Three different locations in remote areas of Novosibirsk region were used for the measurements. The first was situated 12 km E from Akademgorodok, and 30 km from Novosibirsk near the village Kljutchi. The second location was situated close to Lake Tchany in western part of Novosibirsk region. The third location was situated in south-western part of Novosibirsk region, 12 km from the town Karasuk. The total aerosol light scattering by aerosol particles was measured by commercially available nephelometer FAN-A in terms of units, related to the molecular scattering of clean air, measured by the same nephelometer. Aerosol samples in which the content of sulfate-, nitrate-, and cloride-anions was determined, using ion liquid chromatography, were collected with Whatman 41 or AFA-HA filters. Aerosol mass concentration was measured by weighting of AFA-HA filters. Aerosol particles were sampled on the filters with the volume velocity of about 500 l/min for Whatman 41 and 120 l/min for AFA-HA and mean sampling duration of 24 hours. The total aerosol number concentration was measured with a condensation nuclei counter TSI 3020

Daily and seasonal variation of aerosol concentration in the atmosphere near the surface in continental climate of Siberia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koutsenogii, P. [Inst. of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

1995-12-31

Novosibirsk region is the area in southern part of West-Siberian lowland, covering about 200,000 km{sup 2}. The properties of atmospheric aerosol in Novosibirsk region were studied during few campaigns in the years 1992 and 1993, one complex expedition in Summer of 1994 and durable observations in Akademgorodok in the years 1993, 1994. Akademgorodok is situated 25 km S from the city Novosibirsk, has population of about 100,000 and no industry. Three different locations in remote areas of Novosibirsk region were used for the measurements. The first was situated 12 km E from Akademgorodok, and 30 km from Novosibirsk near the village Kljutchi. The second location was situated close to Lake Tchany in western part of Novosibirsk region. The third location was situated in south-western part of Novosibirsk region, 12 km from the town Karasuk. The total aerosol light scattering by aerosol particles was measured by commercially available nephelometer FAN-A in terms of units, related to the molecular scattering of clean air, measured by the same nephelometer. Aerosol samples in which the content of sulfate-, nitrate-, and cloride-anions was determined, using ion liquid chromatography, were collected with Whatman 41 or AFA-HA filters. Aerosol mass concentration was measured by weighting of AFA-HA filters. Aerosol particles were sampled on the filters with the volume velocity of about 500 l/min for Whatman 41 and 120 l/min for AFA-HA and mean sampling duration of 24 hours. The total aerosol number concentration was measured with a condensation nuclei counter TSI 3020

Comprehensive Measurement of Atmospheric Aerosols with a Wide Range Aerosol Spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keck, L; Pesch, M; Grimm, H

2011-01-01

A wide range aerosol spectrometer (WRAS) was used for comprehensive long term measurements of aerosol size distributions. The system combines the results of an optical aerosol spectrometer with the results of a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) to record essentially the full size range (5 nm - 32 μm) of atmospheric particles in 72 channels. Measurements were carried out over one year (2009) at the Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW)-Station Hohenpeissenberg, Bavaria. Total particle number concentrations obtained from the aerosol size distributions were compared to the total number concentrations measured by a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC). The comparison showed an excellent agreement of the data. The high time resolution of 5 minutes allows the combination of the measured size distributions with meteorological data and correlations to gaseous pollutants (CO, NOx and SO2). A good correlation of particle number and CO concentrations was found for long distance transported small particles, which were probably mainly soot particles. Correlations to NOx were observed for aerosols from local sources such as traffic emissions. The formation of secondary aerosols from gaseous precursors was also observed. Episodes of relatively high concentration of particles in the range of 2-3 μm were probably caused by pollen.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Dall'Osto, M.; Ovadnevaite, J.; Ceburnis, D.; Martin, D.; Healy, R. M.; O'Connor, I. P.; Kourtchev, I.; Sodeau, J. R.; Wenger, J. C.; O'Dowd, C.

2013-05-01

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 {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).

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Dall'Osto

2013-05-01

Full Text Available 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 extit{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.

Quantitative sampling and analysis of trace elements in atmospheric aerosols: impactor characterization and Synchrotron-XRF mass calibration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Richard

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Identification of trace elements in ambient air can add substantial information to pollution source apportionment studies, although they do not contribute significantly to emissions in terms of mass. A method for quantitative size and time-resolved trace element evaluation in ambient aerosols with a rotating drum impactor and synchrotron radiation based X-ray fluorescence is presented. The impactor collection efficiency curves and size segregation characteristics were investigated in an experiment with oil and salt particles. Cutoff diameters were determined through the ratio of size distributions measured with two particle sizers. Furthermore, an external calibration technique to empirically link fluorescence intensities to ambient concentrations was developed. Solutions of elemental standards were applied with an ink-jet printer on thin films and area concentrations were subsequently evaluated with external wet chemical methods. These customized and reusable reference standards enable quantification of different data sets analyzed under varying experimental conditions.

Asian industrial lead inputs to the North Pacific evidenced by lead concentrations and isotopic compositions in surface waters and aerosols.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallon, Céline; Ranville, Mara A; Conaway, Christopher H; Landing, William M; Buck, Clifton S; Morton, Peter L; Flegal, A Russell

2011-12-01

Recent trends of atmospheric lead deposition to the North Pacific were investigated with analyses of lead in aerosols and surface waters collected on the fourth Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Contaminant Baseline Survey from May to June, 2002. Lead concentrations of the aerosols varied by 2 orders of magnitude (0.1-26.4 pmol/m(3)) due in part to variations in dust deposition during the cruise. The ranges in lead aerosol enrichment factors relative to iron (1-119) and aluminum (3-168) were similar, evidencing the transport of Asian industrial lead aerosols across the North Pacific. The oceanic deposition of some of those aerosols was substantiated by the gradient of lead concentrations of North Pacific waters, which varied 3-fold (32.7-103.5 pmol/kg), were highest along with the Asian margin of the basin, and decreased eastward. The hypothesized predominance of Asian industrial lead inputs to the North Pacific was further corroborated by the lead isotopic composition of ocean surface waters ((206)Pb/(207)Pb = 1.157-1.169; (208)Pb/(206)Pb = 2.093-2.118), which fell within the range of isotopic ratios reported in Asian aerosols that are primarily attributed to Chinese industrial lead emissions.

Atmospheric dispersion of sodium aerosol due to a sodium leak in a fast breeder reactor complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punitha, G.; Sudha, A. Jasmin; Kasinathan, N.; Rajan, M.

2008-01-01

Liquid sodium at high temperatures (470 K to 825 K) is used as the primary and secondary coolant in Liquid Metal cooled Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR). In the event of a postulated sodium leak in the Steam Generator Building (SGB) of a LMFBR, sodium readily combusts in the ambient air, especially at temperatures above 523 K. Intense sodium fire results and sodium oxide fumes are released as sodium aerosols. Sodium oxides are readily converted to sodium hydroxide in air due to the presence of moisture in it. Hence, sodium aerosols are invariably in the form of particulate sodium hydroxide. These aerosols damage not only the equipment and instruments due to their corrosive nature but also pose health hazard to humans. Hence, it is essential to estimate the concentration of sodium aerosols within the plant boundary for a sodium leak event. The Gaussian Plume Dispersion Model can obtain the atmospheric dispersion of sodium aerosols in an open terrain. However, this model dose not give accurate results for dispersion in spaces close to the point of release and with buildings in between. The velocity field due to the wind is altered to a large extent by the intervening buildings and structures. Therefore, a detailed 3-D estimation of the velocity field and concentration has to be obtained through rigorous computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. PHOENICS code has been employed to determine concentration of sodium aerosols at various distances from the point of release. The dispersion studies have been carried out for the release of sodium aerosols at different elevations from the ground and for different wind directions. (author)

Sources of increase in lowermost stratospheric sulphurous and carbonaceous aerosol background concentrations during 1999–2008 derived from CARIBIC flights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johan Friberg

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This study focuses on sulphurous and carbonaceous aerosol, the major constituents of particulate matter in the lowermost stratosphere (LMS, based on in situ measurements from 1999 to 2008. Aerosol particles in the size range of 0.08–2 µm were collected monthly during intercontinental flights with the CARIBIC passenger aircraft, presenting the first long-term study on carbonaceous aerosol in the LMS. Elemental concentrations were derived via subsequent laboratory-based ion beam analysis. The stoichiometry indicates that the sulphurous fraction is sulphate, while an O/C ratio of 0.2 indicates that the carbonaceous aerosol is organic. The concentration of the carbonaceous component corresponded on average to approximately 25% of that of the sulphurous, and could not be explained by forest fires or biomass burning, since the average mass ratio of Fe to K was 16 times higher than typical ratios in effluents from biomass burning. The data reveal increasing concentrations of particulate sulphur and carbon with a doubling of particulate sulphur from 1999 to 2008 in the northern hemisphere LMS. Periods of elevated concentrations of particulate sulphur in the LMS are linked to downward transport of aerosol from higher altitudes, using ozone as a tracer for stratospheric air. Tropical volcanic eruptions penetrating the tropical tropopause are identified as the likely cause of the particulate sulphur and carbon increase in the LMS, where entrainment of lower tropospheric air into volcanic jets and plumes could be the cause of the carbon increase.

Volatility measurement of atmospheric submicron aerosols in an urban atmosphere in southern China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.-M. Cao

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Aerosol pollution has been a very serious environmental problem in China for many years. The volatility of aerosols can affect the distribution of compounds in the gas and aerosol phases, the atmospheric fates of the corresponding components, and the measurement of the concentration of aerosols. Compared to the characterization of chemical composition, few studies have focused on the volatility of aerosols in China. In this study, a thermodenuder aerosol mass spectrometer (TD-AMS system was deployed to study the volatility of non-refractory submicron particulate matter (PM1 species during winter in Shenzhen. To our knowledge, this paper is the first report of the volatilities of aerosol chemical components based on a TD-AMS system in China. The average PM1 mass concentration during the experiment was 42.7±20.1 µg m−3, with organic aerosol (OA being the most abundant component (43.2 % of the total mass. The volatility of chemical species measured by the AMS varied, with nitrate showing the highest volatility, with a mass fraction remaining (MFR of 0.57 at 50 °C. Organics showed semi-volatile characteristics (the MFR was 0.88 at 50 °C, and the volatility had a relatively linear correlation with the TD temperature (from the ambient temperature to 200 °C, with an evaporation rate of 0.45 % °C−1. Five subtypes of OA were resolved from total OA using positive matrix factorization (PMF for data obtained under both ambient temperature and high temperatures through the TD, including a hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA, accounting for 13.5 %, a cooking OA (COA, 20.6 %, a biomass-burning OA (BBOA, 8.9 %, and two oxygenated OAs (OOAs: a less-oxidized OOA (LO-OOA, 39.1 % and a more-oxidized OOA (MO-OOA, 17.9 %. Different OA factors presented different volatilities, and the volatility sequence of the OA factors at 50 °C was HOA (MFR of 0.56  >  LO-OOA (0.70  >  COA (0.85  ≈  BBOA (0.87�

The effects of deep convection on the concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles within the upper troposphere: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Yan; Chen, Qian; Jin, Lianji; Chen, Baojun; Zhu, Shichao; Zhang, Xiaopei

2012-11-01

A cloud resolving model coupled with a spectral bin microphysical scheme was used to investigate the effects of deep convection on the concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles within the upper troposphere. A deep convective storm that occurred on 1 December, 2005 in Darwin, Australia was simulated, and was compared with available radar observations. The results showed that the radar echo of the storm in the developing stage was well reproduced by the model. Sensitivity tests for aerosol layers at different altitudes were conducted in order to understand how the concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles within the upper troposphere can be influenced by the vertical transport of aerosols as a result of deep convection. The results indicated that aerosols originating from the boundary layer can be more efficiently transported upward, as compared to those from the mid-troposphere, due to significantly increased vertical velocity through the reinforced homogeneous freezing of droplets. Precipitation increased when aerosol layers were lofted at different altitudes, except for the case where an aerosol layer appeared at 5.4-8.0 km, in which relatively more efficient heterogeneous ice nucleation and subsequent Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process resulted in more pronounced production of ice crystals, and prohibited the formation of graupel particles via accretion. Sensitivity tests revealed, at least for the cases considered, that the concentration of aerosol particles within the upper troposphere increased by a factor of 7.71, 5.36, and 5.16, respectively, when enhanced aerosol layers existed at 0-2.2 km, 2.2-5.4 km, and 5.4-8.0 km, with Aitken mode and a portion of accumulation mode (0.1-0.2μm) particles being the most susceptible to upward transport.

Future aerosols of the southwest - Implications for fundamental aerosol research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedlander, S.K.

1980-01-01

It is shown that substantial increases in the use of coal in the U.S. will lead to substantial increases in emissions of particulate matter, SO/sub x/, and NO/sub x/ in the part of the U.S. west of the Mississippi. A shift in the primary particulate emissions from coarse to submicron particles is predicted. Attention is given to the nature of the submicron aerosol in the southwest, the distribution of sulfur with respect to particle size, the formation of new particles in the atmosphere, and the ammonium nitrate equilibrium. It is concluded that increased coal use will result in a 50% increase in SO/sub x/ emissions and a doubling of NO/sub x/ emissions in the western U.S. by the year 2000, that ambient levels of aerosol sulfates and nitrates will increase, and that a large increase in submicron aerosol mass is likely

Dispersion bias, dispersion effect, and the aerosol-cloud conundrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yangang; Daum, Peter H; Guo Huan; Peng Yiran

2008-01-01

This work examines the influences of relative dispersion (the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean radius of the cloud droplet size distribution) on cloud albedo and cloud radiative forcing, derives an analytical formulation that accounts explicitly for the contribution from droplet concentration and relative dispersion, and presents a new approach to parameterize relative dispersion in climate models. It is shown that inadequate representation of relative dispersion in climate models leads to an overestimation of cloud albedo, resulting in a negative bias of global mean shortwave cloud radiative forcing that can be comparable to the warming caused by doubling CO 2 in magnitude, and that this dispersion bias is likely near its maximum for ambient clouds. Relative dispersion is empirically expressed as a function of the quotient between cloud liquid water content and droplet concentration (i.e., water per droplet), yielding an analytical formulation for the first aerosol indirect effect. Further analysis of the new expression reveals that the dispersion effect not only offsets the cooling from the Twomey effect, but is also proportional to the Twomey effect in magnitude. These results suggest that unrealistic representation of relative dispersion in cloud parameterization in general, and evaluation of aerosol indirect effects in particular, is at least in part responsible for several outstanding puzzles of the aerosol-cloud conundrum: for example, overestimation of cloud radiative cooling by climate models compared to satellite observations; large uncertainty and discrepancy in estimates of the aerosol indirect effect; and the lack of interhemispheric difference in cloud albedo.

Chemical characteristics of submicron particles at the central Tibetan Plateau: insights from aerosol mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jianzhong; Zhang, Qi; Shi, Jinsen; Ge, Xinlei; Xie, Conghui; Wang, Junfeng; Kang, Shichang; Zhang, Ruixiong; Wang, Yuhang

2018-01-01

Recent studies have revealed a significant influx of anthropogenic aerosol from South Asia to the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau (TP) during pre-monsoon period. In order to characterize the chemical composition, sources, and transport processes of aerosol in this area, we carried out a field study during June 2015 by deploying a suite of online instruments including an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-AMS) and a multi-angle absorption photometer (MAAP) at Nam Co station (90°57' E, 30°46' N; 4730 m a.s.l.) at the central of the TP. The measurements were made at a period when the transition from pre-monsoon to monsoon occurred. The average ambient mass concentration of submicron particulate matter (PM1) over the whole campaign was ˜ 2.0 µg m-3, with organics accounting for 68 %, followed by sulfate (15 %), black carbon (8 %), ammonium (7 %), and nitrate (2 %). Relatively higher aerosol mass concentration episodes were observed during the pre-monsoon period, whereas persistently low aerosol concentrations were observed during the monsoon period. However, the chemical composition of aerosol during the higher aerosol concentration episodes in the pre-monsoon season was on a case-by-case basis, depending on the prevailing meteorological conditions and air mass transport routes. Most of the chemical species exhibited significant diurnal variations with higher values occurring during afternoon and lower values during early morning, whereas nitrate peaked during early morning in association with higher relative humidity and lower air temperature. Organic aerosol (OA), with an oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O / C) of 0.94, was more oxidized during the pre-monsoon period than during monsoon (average O / C ratio of 0.72), and an average O / C was 0.88 over the entire campaign period, suggesting overall highly oxygenated aerosol in the central TP. Positive matrix factorization of the high-resolution mass spectra of OA identified two oxygenated

Estimating marine aerosol particle volume and number from Maritime Aerosol Network data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Sayer

2012-09-01

Full Text Available As well as spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD, aerosol composition and concentration (number, volume, or mass are of interest for a variety of applications. However, remote sensing of these quantities is more difficult than for AOD, as it is more sensitive to assumptions relating to aerosol composition. This study uses spectral AOD measured on Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN cruises, with the additional constraint of a microphysical model for unpolluted maritime aerosol based on analysis of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET inversions, to estimate these quantities over open ocean. When the MAN data are subset to those likely to be comprised of maritime aerosol, number and volume concentrations obtained are physically reasonable. Attempts to estimate surface concentration from columnar abundance, however, are shown to be limited by uncertainties in vertical distribution. Columnar AOD at 550 nm and aerosol number for unpolluted maritime cases are also compared with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS data, for both the present Collection 5.1 and forthcoming Collection 6. MODIS provides a best-fitting retrieval solution, as well as the average for several different solutions, with different aerosol microphysical models. The "average solution" MODIS dataset agrees more closely with MAN than the "best solution" dataset. Terra tends to retrieve lower aerosol number than MAN, and Aqua higher, linked with differences in the aerosol models commonly chosen. Collection 6 AOD is likely to agree more closely with MAN over open ocean than Collection 5.1. In situations where spectral AOD is measured accurately, and aerosol microphysical properties are reasonably well-constrained, estimates of aerosol number and volume using MAN or similar data would provide for a greater variety of potential comparisons with aerosol properties derived from satellite or chemistry transport model data. However, without accurate AOD data and prior knowledge of

Assessment of atmospheric aerosol content in Abuesi: a suburban Coastal community in Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bempong-Manful, E.

2013-07-01

Airborne particulate matter (APM) composition has been studied at the Abuesi area. Aerosol samples in two size fractions were collected over a period of 3 months using the Gent stacked filter unit (SFU). Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) was used to measure concentrations of up to 28 elements at the INFN - Accelerator laboratory, University of Florence, Italy for the coarse fraction which accounted for 53.84 % of PM 10 aerosols in the Abuesi area. Mean values of 41.890µg/m 3 , 22.469 µg/m 3 and 19.422 µg/m 3 were measured for Inhalable Particulate Matter (IPM/PM 10), Coarse mode Particulate Matter (CPM) and Fine mode Particulate Matter (FPM) respectively and these were within the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. Chlorine is established as an important component of the aerosol in Abuesi, Originating mainly from sea spray. It accounted for 32.13 % of the total coarse mode aerosol elemental concentration. Characterisation of aerosols in the study area was performed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with VARIMAX rotation. Six factors score accounted for the three main identified APM sources (i.e. crustal material/soil dust, marine/sea spray and mechanical operations) in the area with crustal material/dust representing the dominant source. Enrichment Factor (EF) values also showed no enrichment for about 86 % of the measured elements with only Na which resulted predominantly from sea spray recording a moderate enrichment score of EF=3.386. The results obtained suggest that ambient air quality in the Abuesi area is safe. There is, however, the need to conduct further studies to estimate the black carbon concentrations of both fine and coarse aerosol fractions and, as well, investigate the elemental source profile of the various APM sources in the study area. (au)

New aerosol particles formation in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area

Science.gov (United States)

Vela, Angel; Andrade, Maria de Fatima; Ynoue, Rita

2016-04-01

The Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA), in the southeast region of Brazil, is considered a megalopolis comprised of Sao Paulo city and more 38 municipalities. The air pollutant emissions in the SPMA are related to the burning of the fuels: etanol, gasohol (gasoline with 25% ethanol) and diesel. According to CETESB (2013), the road vehicles contributed up to about 97, 87, and 80% of CO, VOCs and NOx emissions in 2012, respectively, being most of NOx associated to diesel combustion and most of CO and VOCs from gasohol and ethanol combustion. Studies conducted on ambient air pollution in the SPMA have shown that black carbon (BC) explains 21% of mass concentration of PM2.5 compared with 40% of organic carbon (OC), 20% of sulfates, and 12% of soil dust (Andrade et al., 2012). Most of the observed ambient PM2.5 mass concentration usually originates from precursors gases such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and VOCs as well as through the physico-chemical processes such as the oxidation of low volatile hydrocarbons transferring to the condensed phase (McMurry et al., 2004). The Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry model (WRF-Chem; Grell et al. 2005), configured with three nested grid cells: 75, 15, and 3 km, is used as photochemical modeling to describe the physico-chemical processes leading to evolution of particles number and mass size distribution from a vehicular emission model developed by the IAG-USP laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and based on statistical information of vehicular activity. The spatial and temporal distributions of emissions in the finest grid cell are based on road density products compiled by the OpenStreetMap project and measurements performed inside tunnels in the SPMA, respectively. WRF-Chem simulation with coupled primary aerosol (dust and sea-salt) and biogenic emission modules and aerosol radiative effects turned on is conducted as the baseline simulation (Case_0) to evaluate the model

PM4 crystalline silica emission factors and ambient concentrations at aggregate-producing sources in California.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, John R; Brozell, Todd T; Rea, Charles; Boraston, Geoff; Hayden, John

2009-11-01

The California Construction and Industrial Minerals Association and the National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Association have sponsored tests at three sand and gravel plants in California to compile crystalline silica emission factors for particulate matter (PM) of aerodynamic diameter of 4 microm or less (PM4) and ambient concentration data. This information is needed by industrial facilities to evaluate compliance with the Chronic Reference Exposure Level (REL) for ambient crystalline silica adopted in 2005 by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. The REL applies to PM4 respirable PM. Air Control Techniques, P.C. sampled for PM4 crystalline silica using a conventional sampler for PM of aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 microm or less (PM2.5), which met the requirements of 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 50, Appendix L. The sample flow rate was adjusted to modify the 50% cut size to 4 microm instead of 2.5 microm. The filter was also changed to allow for crystalline silica analyses using National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Method 7500. The particle size-capture efficiency curve for the modified Appendix L instrument closely matched the performance curve of NIOSH Method 0600 for PM4 crystalline silica and provided a minimum detection limit well below the levels attainable with NIOSH Method 0600. The results of the tests indicate that PM4 crystalline silica emissions range from 0.000006 to 0.000110 lb/t for screening operations, tertiary crushers, and conveyor transfer points. The PM4 crystalline silica emission factors were proportional to the crystalline silica content of the material handled in the process equipment. Measured ambient concentrations ranged from 0 (below detectable limit) to 2.8 microg/m3. All values measured above 2 microg/m3 were at locations upwind of the facilities being tested. The ambient PM4 crystalline silica concentrations measured during this study were below the California REL of 3 microg/m3

Spatial and seasonal patterns in urban influence on regional concentrations of speciated aerosols across the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Hand, J. L.; Schichtel, B. A.; Malm, W. C.; Pitchford, M.; Frank, N. H.

2014-11-01

Monthly, seasonal, and annual mean estimates of urban influence on regional concentrations of major aerosol species were computed using speciated aerosol data from the rural IMPROVE network (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency's urban Chemical Speciation Network for the 2008 through 2011 period. Aggregated for sites across the continental United States, the annual mean and one standard error in urban excess (defined as the ratio of urban to nearby rural concentrations) was highest for elemental carbon (3.3 ± 0.2), followed by ammonium nitrate (2.5 ± 0.2), particulate organic matter (1.78 ± 0.08), and ammonium sulfate (1.23 ± 0.03). The seasonal variability in urban excess was significant for carbonaceous aerosols and ammonium nitrate in the West, in contrast to the low seasonal variability in the urban influence of ammonium sulfate. Generally for all species, higher excess values in the West were associated with localized urban sources while in the East excess was more regional in extent. In addition, higher excess values in the western United States in winter were likely influenced not only by differences in sources but also by combined meteorological and topographic effects. This work has implications for understanding the spatial heterogeneity of major aerosol species near the interface of urban and rural regions and therefore for designing appropriate air quality management strategies. In addition, the spatial patterns in speciated mass concentrations provide constraints for regional and global models.

Chemical, physical, and optical evolution of biomass burning aerosols: a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Adler, G.; Flores, J. M.; Abo Riziq, A.; Borrmann, S.; Rudich, Y.

2011-02-01

In-situ chemical composition measurements of ambient aerosols have been used for characterizing the evolution of submicron aerosols from a large anthropogenic biomass burning (BB) event in Israel. A high resolution Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-RES-TOF-AMS) was used to follow the chemical evolution of BB aerosols during a night-long, extensive nationwide wood burning event and during the following day. While these types of extensive BB events are not common in this region, burning of agricultural waste is a common practice. The aging process of the BB aerosols was followed through their chemical, physical and optical properties. Mass spectrometric analysis of the aerosol organic component showed that aerosol aging is characterized by shifting from less oxidized fresh BB aerosols to more oxidized aerosols. Evidence for aerosol aging during the day following the BB event was indicated by an increase in the organic mass, its oxidation state, the total aerosol concentration, and a shift in the modal particle diameter. The effective broadband refractive index (EBRI) was derived using a white light optical particle counter (WELAS). The average EBRI for a mixed population of aerosols dominated by open fires was m = 1.53(±0.03) + 0.07i(±0.03), during the smoldering phase of the fires we found the EBRI to be m = 1.54(±0.01) + 0.04i(±0.01) compared to m = 1.49(±0.01) + 0.02i(±0.01) of the aged aerosols during the following day. This change indicates a decrease in the overall aerosol absorption and scattering. Elevated levels of particulate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected during the entire event, which suggest possible implications for human health during such extensive event.

Mathematical modeling of atmospheric fine particle-associated primary organic compound concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Rogge, Wolfgang F.; Hildemann, Lynn M.; Mazurek, Monica A.; Cass, Glen R.; Simoneit, Bernd R. T.

1996-08-01

An atmospheric transport model has been used to explore the relationship between source emissions and ambient air quality for individual particle phase organic compounds present in primary aerosol source emissions. An inventory of fine particulate organic compound emissions was assembled for the Los Angeles area in the year 1982. Sources characterized included noncatalyst- and catalyst-equipped autos, diesel trucks, paved road dust, tire wear, brake lining dust, meat cooking operations, industrial oil-fired boilers, roofing tar pots, natural gas combustion in residential homes, cigarette smoke, fireplaces burning oak and pine wood, and plant leaf abrasion products. These primary fine particle source emissions were supplied to a computer-based model that simulates atmospheric transport, dispersion, and dry deposition based on the time series of hourly wind observations and mixing depths. Monthly average fine particle organic compound concentrations that would prevail if the primary organic aerosol were transported without chemical reaction were computed for more than 100 organic compounds within an 80 km × 80 km modeling area centered over Los Angeles. The monthly average compound concentrations predicted by the transport model were compared to atmospheric measurements made at monitoring sites within the study area during 1982. The predicted seasonal variation and absolute values of the concentrations of the more stable compounds are found to be in reasonable agreement with the ambient observations. While model predictions for the higher molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are in agreement with ambient observations, lower molecular weight PAH show much higher predicted than measured atmospheric concentrations in the particle phase, indicating atmospheric decay by chemical reactions or evaporation from the particle phase. The atmospheric concentrations of dicarboxylic acids and aromatic polycarboxylic acids greatly exceed the contributions that

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the UK

Science.gov (United States)

McMeeking, G. R.; Morgan, W. T.; Flynn, M.; Highwood, E. J.; Turnbull, K.; Haywood, J.; Coe, H.

2011-05-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2) measurements of refractory BC (rBC) mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the UK. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM). We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA) and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA). We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NOx) ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NOx and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA) did change for different air masses, with lower SSA observed in

Linking Aerosol Optical Properties Between Laboratory, Field, and Model Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, S. M.; Pokhrel, R. P.; Foster, K. A.; Brown, H.; Liu, X.

2017-12-01

The optical properties of aerosol emissions from biomass burning have a significant impact on the Earth's radiative balance. Based on measurements made during the Fourth Fire Lab in Missoula Experiment, our group published a series of parameterizations that related optical properties (single scattering albedo and absorption due to brown carbon at multiple wavelengths) to the elemental to total carbon ratio of aerosols emitted from biomass burning. In this presentation, the ability of these parameterizations to simulate the optical properties of ambient aerosol is assessed using observations collected in 2017 from our mobile laboratory chasing wildfires in the Western United States. The ambient data includes measurements of multi-wavelength absorption, scattering, and extinction, size distribution, chemical composition, and volatility. In addition to testing the laboratory parameterizations, this combination of measurements allows us to assess the ability of core-shell Mie Theory to replicate observations and to assess the impact of brown carbon and mixing state on optical properties. Finally, both laboratory and ambient data are compared to the optical properties generated by a prominent climate model (Community Earth System Model (CESM) coupled with the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM 5)). The discrepancies between lab observations, ambient observations and model output will be discussed.

Field evaluation of a new particle concentrator- electrostatic precipitator system for measuring chemical and toxicological properties of particulate matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pakbin Payam

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A newly designed electrostatic precipitator (ESP in tandem with Versatile Aerosol Concentration Enrichment System (VACES was developed by the University of Southern California to collect ambient aerosols on substrates appropriate for chemical and toxicological analysis. The laboratory evaluation of this sampler is described in a previous paper. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the new VACES-ESP system in the field by comparing the chemical characteristics of the PM collected in the ESP to those of reference samplers operating in parallel. Results The field campaign was carried out in the period from August, 2007 to March, 2008 in a typical urban environment near downtown Los Angeles. Each sampling set was restricted to 2–3 hours to minimize possible sampling artifacts in the ESP. The results showed that particle penetration increases and ozone concentration decreases with increasing sampling flow rate, with highest particle penetration observed between 100 nm and 300 nm. A reference filter sampler was deployed in parallel to the ESP to collect concentration-enriched aerosols, and a MOUDI sampler was used to collect ambient aerosols. Chemical analysis results showed very good agreement between the ESP and MOUDI samplers in the concentrations of trace elements and inorganic ions. The overall organic compound content of PM collected by the ESP, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, hopanes, steranes, and alkanes, was in good agreement with that of the reference sampler, with an average ESP -to -reference concentration ratio of 1.07 (± 0.38. While majority of organic compound ratios were close to 1, some of the semi-volatile organic species had slightly deviated ratios from 1, indicating the possibility of some sampling artifacts in the ESP due to reactions of PM with ozone and radicals generated from corona discharge, although positive and negative sampling artifacts in the

Seasonal and diurnal variations in potential alpha energy concentrations at a location in tropical Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quintarelli, F.; Akber, R.

1998-01-01

Full text: Atmospheric concentrations of radon progeny activity were measured at two locations in tropical Australia during the time period 1992 - 1994. Meteorological parameters including atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity were also recorded. The data were analysed for seasonal and diurnal variations, in order to establish correlations and associations amongst radon progeny concentrations and meteorological parameters. The paper describes the findings, including the attachment behaviour of radon progeny to ambient aerosol

How important is organic aerosol hygroscopicity to aerosol indirect forcing?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiaohong; Wang Jian

2010-01-01

Organics are among the most abundant aerosol components in the atmosphere. However, there are still large uncertainties with emissions of primary organic aerosol (POA) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (precursor gases of secondary organic aerosol, SOA), formation of SOA, and chemical and physical properties (e.g., hygroscopicity) of POA and SOA. All these may have significant impacts on aerosol direct and indirect forcing estimated from global models. In this study a modal aerosol module (MAM) in the NCAR community atmospheric model (CAM) is used to examine sensitivities of aerosol indirect forcing to hygroscopicity (represented by a single parameter 'κ' ) of POA and SOA. Our model simulation indicates that in the present-day (PD) condition changing the 'κ' value of POA from 0 to 0.1 increases the number concentration of cloud condensational nuclei (CCN) at supersaturation S = 0.1% by 40-80% over the POA source regions, while changing the 'κ' value of SOA by ± 50% (from 0.14 to 0.07 and 0.21) changes the CCN concentration within 40%. There are disproportionally larger changes in CCN concentration in the pre-industrial (PI) condition. Due to the stronger impact of organics hygroscopicity on CCN and cloud droplet number concentration at PI condition, global annual mean anthropogenic aerosol indirect forcing (AIF) between PD and PI conditions reduces with the increase of the hygroscopicity of organics. Global annual mean AIF varies by 0.4 W m -2 in the sensitivity runs with the control run of - 1.3 W m -2 , highlighting the need for improved understanding of organics hygroscopicity and its representation in global models.

Radioactive aerosols. [In Russian

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natanson, G L

1956-01-01

Tabulations are given presenting various published data on safe atmospheric concentrations of various radioactive and non-radioactive aerosols. Methods of determination of active aerosol concentrations and dispersion as well as the technical applications of labeled aerosols are discussed. The effect of atomic explosions are analyzed considering the nominal atomic bomb based on /sup 235/U and /sup 232/Pu equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT.

Simulated reaction of formaldehyde and ambient atmospheric particulate matter using a chamber

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yueyue Chen; Jia Liu; Jing Shang; Tong Zhu

2017-01-01

The reaction of HCHO with Beijing winter's real ambient particulate matter (PM) inside a 3.3 m3 Teflon Chamber was conducted in this study.NO2,O3 and H2O gases were removed from the ambient aerosol before entering into the chamber.The decays of HCHO were monitored (acetylacetone spectrophotometry method) during the reactions at different PM number concentrations (Na) and relative humidities (RHs),and the formed particulate formate was detected by IC and XPS techniques.The results showed that when RH was 10％-15％,the decay rate of HCHO in the chamber was higher with the existence of PM from relatively clean days (with number concentration (Na) ＜ 200,000 particle/L,0.35-22.5 μm) compared to dirty days (Na ＞ 200,000 particle/L,0.35-22.5 μm).When RH increased to 30％-45％,PM can hardly have significant influences on the decay of HCHO.The formations of formate on the reacted PM were consistent with the HCHO decay rates at different ambient PM Na and RH conditions.This is a first study related to the "real" ambient PM reacted with HCHO and suggested that in the clean and low RH days,PM could be an effective medium for the conversion of HCHO to formate.

Indoor and ambient air concentrations of respirable particles between two hospitals in Kashan (2014-2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmoud Mohammadyan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: The hospital environment requires special attention to provide healthful indoor air quality for protecting patients and healthcare workers against the occupational diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of respirable particles indoor and ambient air of two hospitals in Kashan. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted during 3 months (Marth 2014 to May 2015. Indoor and outdoor PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were measured four times a week in the operating room, pediatric and ICU2 (Intensive Care Unit wards using a real time dust monitor at two hospitals. A total number of 480 samples (80 samples indoors and 40 outdoors from wards were collected. Results: The highest mean PM2.5 and PM10 for indoors were determined 57.61± 68.57 µg m-3 and 212.36±295.49 µg m-3, respectively. The results showed a significant relationship between PM2.5 and PM10 in the indoor and ambient air of two hospitals (P<0.05. PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were different in all of the selected wards (P<0.05. Conclusion: The respirable particle concentrations in the indoor and ambient air in both hospitals were higher than the 24-hours WHO and US-EPA standards. Thence, utilizing sufficient and efficient air conditioning systems in hospitals can be useful in improving indoor air quality and reducing the respirable particle concentrations.

Airborne measurement of submicron aerosol number concentration and CCN activity in and around the Korean Peninsula and their comparison to ground measurement in Seoul

Science.gov (United States)

Park, M.; Kim, N.; Yum, S. S.

2016-12-01

Aerosols exert impact not only on human health and visibility but also on climate change directly by scattering or absorbing solar radiation and indirectly by acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and thus altering cloud radiative and microphysical properties. Aerosol indirect effects on climate has been known to have large uncertainty because of insufficient measurement data on aerosol and CCN activity distribution. Submicron aerosol number concentration (NCN, TSI CPC) and CCN number concentration (NCCN, DMT CCNC) were measured on board the NASA DC-8 research aircraft and at a ground site at Olympic Park in Seoul from May 2nd to June 10th, 2016. CCNC on the airborne platform was operated with the fixed internal supersaturation of 0.6% and CCNC at the ground site was operated with the five different supersaturations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%). The NASA DC-8 conducted 20 research flights (about 150 hours) in and around the Korean Peninsula and the ground measurement at Olympic Park was continuously made during the measurement period. Both airborne and ground measurements showed spatially and temporally varied aerosol number concentration and CCN activity. Aerosol number concentration in the boundary layer measured on airborne platform was highly affected by pollution sources on the ground. The average diurnal distribution of ground aerosol number concentration showed distinct peaks are located at about 0800, 1500, and 2000. The middle peak indicates that new particle formation events frequently occurred during the measurement period. CCN activation ratio at 0.6% supersaturation (NCCN/NCN) of the airborne measurement ranged from 0.1 to 0.9, indicating that aerosol properties in and around the Korean Peninsula varied so much (e. g. size, hygroscopicity). Comprehensive analysis results will be shown at the conference.

Global chemical composition of ambient fine particulate matter for exposure assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Philip, Sajeev; Martin, Randall V; van Donkelaar, Aaron; Lo, Jason Wai-Ho; Wang, Yuxuan; Chen, Dan; Zhang, Lin; Kasibhatla, Prasad S; Wang, Siwen; Zhang, Qiang; Lu, Zifeng; Streets, David G; Bittman, Shabtai; Macdonald, Douglas J

2014-11-18

Epidemiologic and health impact studies are inhibited by the paucity of global, long-term measurements of the chemical composition of fine particulate matter. We inferred PM2.5 chemical composition at 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution for 2004-2008 by combining aerosol optical depth retrieved from the MODIS and MISR satellite instruments, with coincident profile and composition information from the GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model. Evaluation of the satellite-model PM2.5 composition data set with North American in situ measurements indicated significant spatial agreement for secondary inorganic aerosol, particulate organic mass, black carbon, mineral dust, and sea salt. We found that global population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations were dominated by particulate organic mass (11.9 ± 7.3 μg/m(3)), secondary inorganic aerosol (11.1 ± 5.0 μg/m(3)), and mineral dust (11.1 ± 7.9 μg/m(3)). Secondary inorganic PM2.5 concentrations exceeded 30 μg/m(3) over East China. Sensitivity simulations suggested that population-weighted ambient PM2.5 from biofuel burning (11 μg/m(3)) could be almost as large as from fossil fuel combustion sources (17 μg/m(3)). These estimates offer information about global population exposure to the chemical components and sources of PM2.5.

Atmospheric oxidation of 1,3-butadiene: characterization of gas and aerosol reaction products and implications for PM2.5

Science.gov (United States)

Jaoui, M.; Lewandowski, M.; Docherty, K.; Offenberg, J. H.; Kleindienst, T. E.

2014-12-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was generated by irradiating 1,3-butadiene (13BD) in the presence of H2O2 or NOx. Experiments were conducted in a smog chamber operated in either flow or batch mode. A filter/denuder sampling system was used for simultaneously collecting gas- and particle-phase products. The chemical composition of the gas phase and SOA was analyzed using derivative-based methods (BSTFA, BSTFA + PFBHA, or DNPH) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the derivative compounds. The analysis showed the occurrence of more than 60 oxygenated organic compounds in the gas and particle phases, of which 31 organic monomers were tentatively identified. The major identified products include glyceric acid, d-threitol, erythritol, d-threonic acid, meso-threonic acid, erythrose, malic acid, tartaric acid, and carbonyls including glycolaldehyde, glyoxal, acrolein, malonaldehyde, glyceraldehyde, and peroxyacryloyl nitrate (APAN). Some of these were detected in ambient PM2.5 samples, and could potentially serve as organic markers of 13BD. Furthermore, a series of oligoesters were detected and found to be produced through chemical reactions occurring in the aerosol phase between compounds bearing alcoholic groups and compounds bearing acidic groups. SOA was analyzed for organic mass to organic carbon (OM /OC) ratio, effective enthalpy of vaporization (Δ Hvapeff), and aerosol yield. The average OM /OC ratio and SOA density were 2.7 ± 0.09 and 1.2 ± 0.05, respectively. The average Δ Hvapeff was -26.08 ± 1.46 kJ mol-1, a value lower than that of isoprene SOA. The average laboratory SOA yield measured in this study at aerosol mass concentrations between 22.5 and 140.2 μg m-3 was 0.025 ± 0.011, a value consistent with the literature (0.021-0.178). While the focus of this study has been examination of the particle-phase measurements, the gas-phase photooxidation products have also been

Updated aerosol module and its application to simulate secondary organic aerosols during IMPACT campaign May 2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. P. Li

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The formation of Secondary organic aerosol (SOA was simulated with the Secondary ORGanic Aerosol Model (SORGAM by a classical gas-particle partitioning concept, using the two-product model approach, which is widely used in chemical transport models. In this study, we extensively updated SORGAM including three major modifications: firstly, we derived temperature dependence functions of the SOA yields for aromatics and biogenic VOCs (volatile organic compounds, based on recent chamber studies within a sophisticated mathematic optimization framework; secondly, we implemented the SOA formation pathways from photo oxidation (OH initiated of isoprene; thirdly, we implemented the SOA formation channel from NO3-initiated oxidation of reactive biogenic hydrocarbons (isoprene and monoterpenes. The temperature dependence functions of the SOA yields were validated against available chamber experiments, and the updated SORGAM with temperature dependence functions was evaluated with the chamber data. Good performance was found with the normalized mean error of less than 30%. Moreover, the whole updated SORGAM module was validated against ambient SOA observations represented by the summed oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA concentrations abstracted from aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS measurements at a rural site near Rotterdam, the Netherlands, performed during the IMPACT campaign in May 2008. In this case, we embedded both the original and the updated SORGAM module into the EURopean Air pollution and Dispersion-Inverse Model (EURAD-IM, which showed general good agreements with the observed meteorological parameters and several secondary products such as O3, sulfate and nitrate. With the updated SORGAM module, the EURAD-IM model also captured the observed SOA concentrations reasonably well especially those during nighttime. In contrast, the EURAD-IM model before update underestimated the observations by a factor of up to 5. The large improvements of the modeled

Variations in the OM/OC ratio of urban organic aerosol next to a major roadway.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Steven G; Lee, Taehyoung; Roberts, Paul T; Collett, Jeffrey L

2013-12-01

Understanding the organic matter/organic carbon (OM/OC) ratio in ambient particulate matter (PM) is critical to achieve mass closure in routine PM measurements, to assess the sources of and the degree of chemical processing organic aerosol particles have undergone, and to relate ambient pollutant concentrations to health effects. Of particular interest is how the OM/OC ratio varies in the urban environment, where strong spatial and temporal gradients in source emissions are common. We provide results of near-roadway high-time-resolution PM1 OM concentration and OM/OC ratio observations during January 2008 at Fyfe Elementary School in Las Vegas, NV, 18 m from the U.S. 95 freeway soundwall, measured with an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-AMS). The average OM/OC ratio was 1.54 (+/- 0.20 standard deviation), typical of environments with a low amount of secondary aerosol formation. The 2-min average OM/OC ratios varied between 1.17 and 2.67, and daily average OM/OC ratios varied between 1.44 and 1.73. The ratios were highest during periods of low OM concentrations and generally low during periods of high OM concentrations. OM/OC ratios were low (1.52 +/- 0.14, on average) during the morning rush hour (average OM = 2.4 microg/m3), when vehicular emissions dominate this near-road measurement site. The ratios were slightly lower (1.46 +/- 0.10) in the evening (average OM = 6.3 microg/m3), when a combination of vehicular and fresh residential biomass burning emissions was typically present during times with temperature inversions. The hourly averaged OM/OC ratio peaked at 1.66 at midday. OM concentrations were similar regardless of whether the monitoring site was downwind or upwind of the adjacent freeway throughout the day, though they were higher during stagnant conditions (wind speed < 0.5 m/sec). The OM/OC ratio generally varied more with time of day than with wind direction and speed.

Estimation of atmospheric columnar organic matter (OM) mass concentration from remote sensing measurements of aerosol spectral refractive indices

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Li, Zhengqiang; Sun, Yele; Lv, Yang; Xie, Yisong

2018-04-01

Aerosols have adverse effects on human health and air quality, changing Earth's energy balance and lead to climate change. The components of aerosol are important because of the different spectral characteristics. Based on the low hygroscopic and high scattering properties of organic matter (OM) in fine modal atmospheric aerosols, we develop an inversion algorithm using remote sensing to obtain aerosol components including black carbon (BC), organic matter (OM), ammonium nitrate-like (AN), dust-like (DU) components and aerosol water content (AW). In the algorithm, the microphysical characteristics (i.e. volume distribution and complex refractive index) of particulates are preliminarily separated to fine and coarse modes, and then aerosol components are retrieved using bimodal parameters. We execute the algorithm using remote sensing measurements of sun-sky radiometer at AERONET site (Beijing RADI) in a period from October of 2014 to January of 2015. The results show a reasonable distribution of aerosol components and a good fit for spectral feature calculations. The mean OM mass concentration in atmospheric column is account for 14.93% of the total and 56.34% of dry and fine-mode aerosol, being a fairly good correlation (R = 0.56) with the in situ observations near the surface layer.

Elemental analysis of chamber organic aerosol using an aerodyne high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer

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P. S. Chhabra

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The elemental composition of laboratory chamber secondary organic aerosol (SOA from glyoxal uptake, α-pinene ozonolysis, isoprene photooxidation, single-ring aromatic photooxidation, and naphthalene photooxidation is evaluated using Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer data. SOA O/C ratios range from 1.13 for glyoxal uptake experiments to 0.30–0.43 for α-pinene ozonolysis. The elemental composition of α-pinene and naphthalene SOA is also confirmed by offline mass spectrometry. The fraction of organic signal at m/z 44 is generally a good measure of SOA oxygenation for α-pinene/O₃, isoprene/high-NO_x, and naphthalene SOA systems. The agreement between measured and estimated O/C ratios tends to get closer as the fraction of organic signal at m/z 44 increases. This is in contrast to the glyoxal uptake system, in which m/z 44 substantially underpredicts O/C. Although chamber SOA has generally been considered less oxygenated than ambient SOA, single-ring aromatic- and naphthalene-derived SOA can reach O/C ratios upward of 0.7, well within the range of ambient PMF component OOA, though still not as high as some ambient measurements. The spectra of aromatic and isoprene-high-NO_x SOA resemble that of OOA, but the spectrum of glyoxal uptake does not resemble that of any ambient organic aerosol PMF component.

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the United Kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

McMeeking, G. R.; Morgan, W. T.; Flynn, M.; Highwood, E. J.; Turnbull, K.; Haywood, J.; Coe, H.

2011-09-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2) measurements of refractory BC (rBC) mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the United Kingdom. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM). We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA) and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA). We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NOx) ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NOx and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA) did change for different air masses, with lower SSA

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the United Kingdom

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G. R. McMeeking

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Black carbon (BC aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2 measurements of refractory BC (rBC mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the United Kingdom. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM. We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA. We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NO_x ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NO_x and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA did change for

Atmospheric Aerosol Emissions Related to the Mediterranean Seawater Biogeochemistry

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Sellegri, K.; Schwier, A.; Rose, C.; Gazeau, F. P. H.; Guieu, C.; D'anna, B.; Ebling, A. M.; Pey, J.; Marchand, N.; Charriere, B.; Sempéré, R.; Mas, S.

2016-02-01

Marine aerosols contribute significantly to the global aerosol load and consequently has an important impact on the Earth's climate. Different factors influence the way they are produced at the air/seawater interface. The sea state (whitecap coverage, temperature, etc. ) influence the size and concentration of primarily produced particles but also biogeochemical characteristics of the seawater influence both the physical and chemical primary fluxes to the atmosphere. An additional aerosol source of marine aerosol to the atmosphere is the formation of new particles by gaz-to-particle conversion, i.e. nucleation. How the seawater and surface microlayer biogeochemical compositions influences the aerosol emissions is still a large debate. In order to study marine emissions, one approach is to use semi-controlled environments such as mesocosms. Within the MedSea and SAM projects, we characterize the primary Sea Spray Aerosol (SSA) during mesocosms experiments performed during different seasons in the Mediteranean Sea. Mesocosms were either left unchanged as control or enriched by addition of nutriments in order to create different levels of phytoplanctonic activities. The mesocosms waters were daily analyzed for their chemical and biological composition (DOC, CDOM, TEP, Chl-a, virus, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton concentrations). SSA production by bubble bursting was daily simulated in a dedicated set-up. The size segregated SSA number fluxes, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) properties, and chemical composition were determined as a function of the seawater characteristics. We show that the SSA organic content was clearly correlated to the seawater Chl-a level, provided that the mesocosm was not enriched to create an artificial phytoplanctonic bloom. In our experiments, the enrichment of the seawater with natural surface microlayer did not impact the SSA organic content nor its CCN properties. At last, nucleation of secondary particles were observed to occur in

Impact of atmospheric boundary layer depth variability and wind reversal on the diurnal variability of aerosol concentration at a valley site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pal, S., E-mail: sp5hd@Virginia.EDU; Lee, T.R.; Phelps, S.; De Wekker, S.F.J.

2014-10-15

The development of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) plays a key role in affecting the variability of atmospheric constituents such as aerosols, greenhouse gases, water vapor, and ozone. In general, the concentration of any tracers within the ABL varies due to the changes in the mixing volume (i.e. ABL depth). In this study, we investigate the impact on the near-surface aerosol concentration in a valley site of 1) the boundary layer dilution due to vertical mixing and 2) changes in the wind patterns. We use a data set obtained during a 10-day field campaign in which a number of remote sensing and in-situ instruments were deployed, including a ground-based aerosol lidar system for monitoring of the ABL top height (z{sub i}), a particle counter to determine the number concentration of aerosol particles at eight different size ranges, and tower-based standard meteorological instruments. Results show a clearly visible decreasing trend of the mean daytime z{sub i} from 2900 m AGL (above ground level) to 2200 m AGL during a three-day period which resulted in increased near-surface pollutant concentrations. An inverse relationship exists between the z{sub i} and the fine fraction (0.3–0.7 μm) accumulation mode particles (AMP) on some days due to the dilution effect in a well-mixed ABL. These days are characterized by the absence of daytime upvalley winds and the presence of northwesterly synoptic-driven winds. In contrast, on the days with an onset of an upvalley wind circulation after the morning transition, the wind-driven local transport mechanism outweighs the ABL-dilution effect in determining the variability of AMP concentration. The interplay between the ABL depth evolution and the onset of the upvalley wind during the morning transition period significantly governs the air quality in a valley and could be an important component in the studies of mountain meteorology and air quality. - Highlights: • Role of atmospheric boundary layer depth on particle

Face Masks and Cough Etiquette Reduce the Cough Aerosol Concentration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in People with Cystic Fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Michelle E; Stockwell, Rebecca E; Johnson, Graham R; Ramsay, Kay A; Sherrard, Laura J; Jabbour, Nassib; Ballard, Emma; O'Rourke, Peter; Kidd, Timothy J; Wainwright, Claire E; Knibbs, Luke D; Sly, Peter D; Morawska, Lidia; Bell, Scott C

2018-02-01

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) generate Pseudomonas aeruginosa in droplet nuclei during coughing. The use of surgical masks has been recommended in healthcare settings to minimize pathogen transmission between patients with CF. To determine if face masks and cough etiquette reduce viable P. aeruginosa aerosolized during coughing. Twenty-five adults with CF and chronic P. aeruginosa infection were recruited. Participants performed six talking and coughing maneuvers, with or without face masks (surgical and N95) and hand covering the mouth when coughing (cough etiquette) in an aerosol-sampling device. An Andersen Cascade Impactor was used to sample the aerosol at 2 meters from each participant. Quantitative sputum and aerosol bacterial cultures were performed, and participants rated the mask comfort levels during the cough maneuvers. During uncovered coughing (reference maneuver), 19 of 25 (76%) participants produced aerosols containing P. aeruginosa, with a positive correlation found between sputum P. aeruginosa concentration (measured as cfu/ml) and aerosol P. aeruginosa colony-forming units. There was a reduction in aerosol P. aeruginosa load during coughing with a surgical mask, coughing with an N95 mask, and cough etiquette compared with uncovered coughing (P masks during coughing; yet, participants rated the surgical masks as more comfortable (P = 0.013). Cough etiquette provided approximately half the reduction of viable aerosols of the mask interventions during voluntary coughing. Talking was a low viable aerosol-producing activity. Face masks reduce cough-generated P. aeruginosa aerosols, with the surgical mask providing enhanced comfort. Cough etiquette was less effective at reducing viable aerosols.

Response of an aerosol mass spectrometer to organonitrates and organosulfates and implications for atmospheric chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, D K; Matsunaga, A; Docherty, K S; Surratt, J D; Seinfeld, J H; Ziemann, P J; Jimenez, J L

2010-04-13

Organonitrates (ON) are important products of gas-phase oxidation of volatile organic compounds in the troposphere; some models predict, and laboratory studies show, the formation of large, multifunctional ON with vapor pressures low enough to partition to the particle phase. Organosulfates (OS) have also been recently detected in secondary organic aerosol. Despite their potential importance, ON and OS remain a nearly unexplored aspect of atmospheric chemistry because few studies have quantified particulate ON or OS in ambient air. We report the response of a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) to aerosol ON and OS standards and mixtures. We quantify the potentially substantial underestimation of organic aerosol O/C, commonly used as a metric for aging, and N/C. Most of the ON-nitrogen appears as NO(x)+ ions in the AMS, which are typically dominated by inorganic nitrate. Minor organonitrogen ions are observed although their identity and intensity vary between standards. We evaluate the potential for using NO(x)+ fragment ratios, organonitrogen ions, HNO(3)+ ions, the ammonium balance of the nominally inorganic ions, and comparison to ion-chromatography instruments to constrain the concentrations of ON for ambient datasets, and apply these techniques to a field study in Riverside, CA. OS manifests as separate organic and sulfate components in the AMS with minimal organosulfur fragments and little difference in fragmentation from inorganic sulfate. The low thermal stability of ON and OS likely causes similar detection difficulties for other aerosol mass spectrometers using vaporization and/or ionization techniques with similar or larger energy, which has likely led to an underappreciation of these species.

Seasonal evolution of anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactant concentrations in coastal aerosols from Askö, Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Gérard, Violaine; Nozière, Barbara; Baduel, Christine

2015-04-01

Surfactants present in atmospheric aerosols are expected to enhance the activation into cloud droplets by acting on one of the two key parameters of the Köhler equation: the surface tension, σ. But because the magnitude of this effect and its regional and temporal variability are still highly uncertain [1,2], various approaches have been developed to evidence it directly in the atmosphere. This work presents the analysis of surfactants present in PM2.5 aerosol fractions collected at the coastal site of Askö, Sweden (58° 49.5' N, 17° 39' E) from July to October 2010. The total surfactant fraction was extracted from the samples using an improved double extraction technique. Surface tension measurements performed with the pendant drop technique [3] indicated the presence of very strong surfactants (σ ~ 30 - 35 mN/m) in these aerosols. In addition, these extractions were combined with colorimetric methods to determine the anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactant concentrations [4,5], and provided for the first time interference-free surfactant concentrations in atmospheric aerosols. At this site, the total surfactant concentration in the PM2.5 samples varied between 7 to 150 mM and was dominated by anionic and non-ionic ones. The absolute surface tension curves obtained for total surfactant fraction displayed Critical Micelle Concentrations (CMC) in the range 50 - 400 uM, strongly suggesting a biological origin for the surfactants. The seasonal evolution of these concentrations and their relationships with environmental or meteorological parameters at the site will be discussed. [1] Ekström, S., Nozière, B. et al., Biogeosciences, 2010, 7, 387 [2] Baduel, C., Nozière, B., Jaffrezo, J.-L., Atmos. Environ., 2012, 47, 413 [3] Nozière, B., Baduel, C., Jaffrezo, J.-L., Nat. Commun., 2014, 5, 1 [4] Latif, M. T.; Brimblecombe, P. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2004, 38, 6501 [5] Pacheco e Silva et al., Method to measure surfactant in fluid, 2013, US 2013/0337568 A1

Effects of concentrated ambient particles on normal and hypersecretory airways in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Harkema, Jack R; Keeler, Gerald; Wagner, James; Morishita, Masako; Timm, Edward; Hotchkiss, Jon; Marsik, Frank; Dvonch, Timothy; Kaminski, Norbert; Barr, Edward

2004-08-01

.5 from this local urban atmosphere. Rats in the inhalation studies were exposed for 1 day or for 4 or 5 consecutive days (10 hours/day) to either filtered air (controls) or concentrated ambient particles (CAPs) delivered by a Harvard ambient fine particle concentrator. Rats were killed 24 hours after the end of the exposure. Biochemical, morphometric, and molecular techniques were used to identify airway epithelial and inflammatory responses to CAPs. Lung lobes were also either intratracheally lavaged with saline to determine cellular composition and protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) or removed for analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICPMS) to detect retention of ambient PM2.5--derived trace elements. The Harvard concentrator effectively concentrated the fine ambient particles from this urban atmosphere (10-30 times) without significantly changing the major physicochemical features of the atmospheric particles. Daily CAPs mass concentrations during the 10-hour exposure period (0800-1800) in July ranged from 16 to 895 microg/m3 and in September ranged from 81 to 755 microg/m3. In general, chemical characteristics of ambient particles were conserved through the concentrator into the exposure chamber. Single or repeated exposures to CAPs did not cause adverse effects in the nasal or pulmonary airways of healthy F344 or BN rats. In addition, CAPs-related toxicity was not observed in F344 rats pretreated with bacterial endotoxin. Variable airway responses to CAPs exposure were observed in BN rats with preexisting allergic airway disease induced by OVA sensitization and challenge. Only OVA-challenged BN rats exposed to CAPs for 5 consecutive days in September 2000 had significant increases in airway mucosubstances and pulmonary inflammation compared to saline-challenged/air-exposed control rats. OVA-challenged BN rats that were repeatedly exposed to CAPs in July 2000 had only minor CAPs-related effects. In only the September 5-day exposure

High summertime aerosol organic functional group concentrations from marine and seabird sources at Ross Island, Antarctica, during AWARE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Liu

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Observations of the organic components of the natural aerosol are scarce in Antarctica, which limits our understanding of natural aerosols and their connection to seasonal and spatial patterns of cloud albedo in the region. From November 2015 to December 2016, the ARM West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE measured submicron aerosol properties near McMurdo Station at the southern tip of Ross Island. Submicron organic mass (OM, particle number, and cloud condensation nuclei concentrations were higher in summer than other seasons. The measurements included a range of compositions and concentrations that likely reflected both local anthropogenic emissions and natural background sources. We isolated the natural organic components by separating a natural factor and a local combustion factor. The natural OM was 150 times higher in summer than in winter. The local anthropogenic emissions were not hygroscopic and had little contribution to the CCN concentrations. Natural sources that included marine sea spray and seabird emissions contributed 56 % OM in summer but only 3 % in winter. The natural OM had high hydroxyl group fraction (55 %, 6 % alkane, and 6 % amine group mass, consistent with marine organic composition. In addition, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectra showed the natural sources of organic aerosol were characterized by amide group absorption, which may be from seabird populations. Carboxylic acid group contributions were high in summer and associated with natural sources, likely forming by secondary reactions.

Kinetically controlled glass transition measurement of organic aerosol thin films using broadband dielectric spectroscopy

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Y. Zhang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Glass transitions from liquid to semi-solid and solid phase states have important implications for reactivity, growth, and cloud-forming (cloud condensation nuclei and ice nucleation capabilities of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs. The small size and relatively low mass concentration of SOAs in the atmosphere make it difficult to measure atmospheric SOA glass transitions using conventional methods. To circumvent these difficulties, we have adapted a new technique for measuring glass-forming properties of atmospherically relevant organic aerosols. Aerosol particles to be studied are deposited in the form of a thin film onto an interdigitated electrode (IDE using electrostatic precipitation. Dielectric spectroscopy provides dipole relaxation rates for organic aerosols as a function of temperature (373 to 233 K that are used to calculate the glass transition temperatures for several cooling or heating rates. IDE-enabled broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS was successfully used to measure the kinetically controlled glass transition temperatures of aerosols consisting of glycerol and four other compounds with selected cooling and heating rates. The glass transition results agree well with available literature data for these five compounds. The results indicate that the IDE-BDS method can provide accurate glass transition data for organic aerosols under atmospheric conditions. The BDS data obtained with the IDE-BDS technique can be used to characterize glass transitions for both simulated and ambient organic aerosols and to model their climate effects.

Global simulations of aerosol processing in clouds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Hoose

2008-12-01

Full Text Available An explicit and detailed representation of in-droplet and in-crystal aerosol particles in stratiform clouds has been introduced in the global aerosol-climate model ECHAM5-HAM. The new scheme allows an evaluation of the cloud cycling of aerosols and an estimation of the relative contributions of nucleation and collision scavenging, as opposed to evaporation of hydrometeors in the global aerosol processing by clouds. On average an aerosol particle is cycled through stratiform clouds 0.5 times. The new scheme leads to important changes in the simulated fraction of aerosol scavenged in clouds, and consequently in the aerosol wet deposition. In general, less aerosol is scavenged into clouds with the new prognostic treatment than what is prescribed in standard ECHAM5-HAM. Aerosol concentrations, size distributions, scavenged fractions and cloud droplet concentrations are evaluated and compared to different observations. While the scavenged fraction and the aerosol number concentrations in the marine boundary layer are well represented in the new model, aerosol optical thickness, cloud droplet number concentrations in the marine boundary layer and the aerosol volume in the accumulation and coarse modes over the oceans are overestimated. Sensitivity studies suggest that a better representation of below-cloud scavenging, higher in-cloud collision coefficients, or a reduced water uptake by seasalt aerosols could reduce these biases.

Aerosol Number Concentrations and Visibility during Dense Fog over a Subtropical Urban Site

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Manju Mohan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available There is now enough evidence of greater frequencies and extent of fog formation in urban areas. These could easily be linked to rapid increase in aerosol number concentration (ANC peculiar to polluted urban environments. It is therefore pertinent to study ANC and visibility alongside the meteorological parameters in order to investigate the relationships which may possibly exist between these parameters especially during foggy conditions. This study based on field measurements of ANC for aerosol spectrum varying from 0.3 µm to 20 µm attempts to investigates whether a threshold ANC could be associated with a given visibility range during low visibility conditions including dense fog episodes. Thus, the present work explores relationship between ANC size spectrum and visibility (100 m–4500 m in a polluted urban environment in India with specific reference to episodes of dense fog during winter period. The study depicts a threshold minimum value of ANC during foggy conditions. A power relationship between ANC and visibility is obtained. Further, aerosol number distribution and size distribution function are also studied and empirical relation is compared with previous studies. Further work is suggested to strengthen the findings presented here.

Enhancement of the aerosol direct radiative effect by semi-volatile aerosol components: airborne measurements in North-Western Europe

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W. T. Morgan

2010-09-01

Full Text Available A case study of atmospheric aerosol measurements exploring the impact of the vertical distribution of aerosol chemical composition upon the radiative budget in North-Western Europe is presented. Sub-micron aerosol chemical composition was measured by an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS on both an airborne platform and a ground-based site at Cabauw in the Netherlands. The examined period in May 2008 was characterised by enhanced pollution loadings in North-Western Europe and was dominated by ammonium nitrate and Organic Matter (OM. Both ammonium nitrate and OM were observed to increase with altitude in the atmospheric boundary layer. This is primarily attributed to partitioning of semi-volatile gas phase species to the particle phase at reduced temperature and enhanced relative humidity. Increased ammonium nitrate concentrations in particular were found to strongly increase the ambient scattering potential of the aerosol burden, which was a consequence of the large amount of associated water as well as the enhanced mass. During particularly polluted conditions, increases in aerosol optical depth of 50–100% were estimated to occur due to the observed increase in secondary aerosol mass and associated water uptake. Furthermore, the single scattering albedo was also shown to increase with height in the boundary layer. These enhancements combined to increase the negative direct aerosol radiative forcing by close to a factor of two at the median percentile level. Such increases have major ramifications for regional climate predictions as semi-volatile components are often not included in aerosol models.

The results presented here provide an ideal opportunity to test regional and global representations of both the aerosol vertical distribution and subsequent impacts in North-Western Europe. North-Western Europe can be viewed as an analogue for the possible future air quality over other polluted regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where

Profiling quinones in ambient air samples collected from the Athabasca region (Canada).

Science.gov (United States)

Wnorowski, Andrzej; Charland, Jean-Pierre

2017-12-01

This paper presents new findings on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon oxidation products-quinones that were collected in ambient air samples in the proximity of oil sands exploration. Quinones were characterized for their diurnal concentration variability, phase partitioning, and molecular size distribution. Gas-phase (GP) and particle-phase (PM) ambient air samples were collected separately in the summer; a lower quinone content was observed in the PM samples from continuous 24-h sampling than from combined 12-h sampling (day and night). The daytime/nocturnal samples demonstrated that nighttime conditions led to lower concentrations and some quinones not being detected. The highest quinone levels were associated with wind directions originating from oil sands exploration sites. The statistical correlation with primary pollutants directly emitted from oil sands industrial activities indicated that the bulk of the detected quinones did not originate directly from primary emission sources and that quinone formation paralleled a reduction in primary source NO x levels. This suggests a secondary chemical transformation of primary pollutants as the origin of the determined quinones. Measurements of 19 quinones included five that have not previously been reported in ambient air or in Standard Reference Material 1649a/1649b and seven that have not been previously measured in ambient air in the underivatized form. This is the first paper to report on quinone characterization in secondary organic aerosols originating from oil sands activities, to distinguish chrysenequinone and anthraquinone positional isomers in ambient air, and to report the requirement of daylight conditions for benzo[a]pyrenequinone and naphthacenequinone to be present in ambient air. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contribution of Biomass Burning to Carbonaceous Aerosols in Mexico City during may 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Tzompa Sosa, Z. A.; Sullivan, A.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2014-12-01

The Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) is one of the largest megacities in the world with a population of 20 million people. Emissions transported from outside the basin, such as wildfires and agricultural burning, represent a potentially large contribution to air quality degradation. This study analyzed PM10 filter samples from six different stations located across the MCMA from May, 2013, which represented the month with the most reported fire counts in the region between 2002-2013. Two meteorological regimes were established considering the number of satellite derived fire counts, changes in predominant wind direction, ambient concentrations of CO, PM10 and PM2.5, and precipitation patterns inside MCMA. The filter samples were analyzed for biomass burning tracers including levoglucosan (LEV), water-soluble potassium (WSK+); and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Results of these analyses show that LEV concentrations correlated positively with ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 (R2=0.61 and R2=0.46, respectively). Strong correlations were also found between WSOC and LEV (R2=0.94) and between WSK+ and LEV (R2=0.75). An average LEV/WSOC ratio of 0.0147 was estimated for Regime 1 and 0.0062 for Regime 2. Our LEV concentrations and LEV/WSOC ratios are consistent with results found during the MILAGRO campaign (March, 2006). To the best of our knowledge, only total potassium concentrations have been measured in aerosol samples from MCMA. Therefore, this is the first study in MCMA to measure ambient concentrations of WSK+. Analysis of gravimetric mass concentrations showed that PM2.5 accounted for 60% of the PM10 mass concentration with an estimated PM10/PM2.5 ratio of 1.68. Estimates from our laboratory filter sample characterization indicated that we measured 37% of the total PM10 mass concentration. The missing mass is most likely crustal material (soil or dust) and carbonaceous aerosols that were not segregated into WSOC fraction. Assuming that LEV is

Chemical characteristics of submicron particles at the central Tibetan Plateau: insights from aerosol mass spectrometry

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J. Xu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have revealed a significant influx of anthropogenic aerosol from South Asia to the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau (TP during pre-monsoon period. In order to characterize the chemical composition, sources, and transport processes of aerosol in this area, we carried out a field study during June 2015 by deploying a suite of online instruments including an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-AMS and a multi-angle absorption photometer (MAAP at Nam Co station (90°57′ E, 30°46′ N; 4730 m a.s.l. at the central of the TP. The measurements were made at a period when the transition from pre-monsoon to monsoon occurred. The average ambient mass concentration of submicron particulate matter (PM1 over the whole campaign was  ∼  2.0 µg m−3, with organics accounting for 68 %, followed by sulfate (15 %, black carbon (8 %, ammonium (7 %, and nitrate (2 %. Relatively higher aerosol mass concentration episodes were observed during the pre-monsoon period, whereas persistently low aerosol concentrations were observed during the monsoon period. However, the chemical composition of aerosol during the higher aerosol concentration episodes in the pre-monsoon season was on a case-by-case basis, depending on the prevailing meteorological conditions and air mass transport routes. Most of the chemical species exhibited significant diurnal variations with higher values occurring during afternoon and lower values during early morning, whereas nitrate peaked during early morning in association with higher relative humidity and lower air temperature. Organic aerosol (OA, with an oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O ∕ C of 0.94, was more oxidized during the pre-monsoon period than during monsoon (average O ∕ C ratio of 0.72, and an average O ∕ C was 0.88 over the entire campaign period, suggesting overall highly oxygenated aerosol in the central TP. Positive matrix factorization of the

Origins of atmospheric aerosols. Basic concepts on aerosol main physical properties; L`aerosol atmospherique: ses origines quelques notions sur les principales proprietes physiques des aerosols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renoux, A. [Paris-12 Univ., 94 - Creteil (France). Laboratoire de Physique des aerosols et de transferts des contaminations

1996-12-31

Natural and anthropogenic sources of atmospheric aerosols are reviewed and indications of their concentrations and granulometry are given. Calculation of the lifetime of an atmospheric aerosol of a certain size is presented and the various modes of aerosol granulometry and their relations with photochemical and physico-chemical processes in the atmosphere are discussed. The main physical, electrical and optical properties of aerosols are also presented: diffusion coefficient, dynamic mobility and relaxation time, Stokes number, limit rate of fall, electrical mobility, optical diffraction

Preliminary study of 7Be, 137Cs and 131I activity concentration distribution rule in Beijing aerosol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Yuanqing; Wang Shilian; Zhang Xinjun; Li Qi; Jia Huaimao; Zhao Yungang; Chen Zhanying; Chang Yinzhong; Liu Shujiang; Li Huijuan

2013-01-01

The process of aerosol sampling and measuring of Beijing Radionuclide Station and Beijing Radionuclide Laboratory of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) International Monitoring System (IMS) was described. Long time aerosol monitoring data of the station and the laboratory were analyzed through statistic method and the characteristic and rule of the concentration distribution of nuclides 7 Be, 137 Cs and 131 I were obtained. The foundation was formed for further studying the rule of the radionuclide distribution in atmosphere. (authors)

Relating hygroscopicity and composition of organic aerosol particulate matter

CERN Document Server

Duplissy, J; Prevot, A S H; Barmpadimos, I; Jimenez, J L; Gysel, M; Worsnop, D R; Aiken, A C; Tritscher, T; Canagaratna, M R; Collins, D R; Alfarra, M R; Metzger, A; Tomlinson, J; DeCarlo, P F; Weingartner, E; Baltensperger, U

2011-01-01

A hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) was used to measure the water uptake (hygroscopicity) of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed during the chemical and photochemical oxidation of several organic precursors in a smog chamber. Electron ionization mass spectra of the non-refractory submicron aerosol were simultaneously determined with an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), and correlations between the two different signals were investigated. SOA hygroscopicity was found to strongly correlate with the relative abundance of the ion signal m/z 44 expressed as a fraction of total organic signal (f(44)). m/z 44 is due mostly to the ion fragment CO(2)(+) for all types of SOA systems studied, and has been previously shown to strongly correlate with organic O/C for ambient and chamber OA. The analysis was also performed on ambient OA from two field experiments at the remote site Jungfrau-joch, and the megacity Mexico City, where similar results were found. A simple empirical linear relation b...

Aerosol Liquid Water Driven by Anthropogenic inorganic salts: Playing a key role in the winter haze formation over North China Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Z.; Liu, Y.; Tan, T.; Wang, Y.; Shang, D.; Xiao, Y.; Li, M.; Zeng, L.; Hu, M.

2017-12-01

Aerosol liquid water influences ambient particulate matter mass concentrations and aerosol optical properties, and can serve as a reactor for multiphase reactions that perturb local photochemistry1. Our observations revealed that ambient relative humidity, inorganic fraction (sulfate, ammonium, nitrate), and PM2.5 mass concentration generally simultaneously elevated during haze episodes, resulting in the abundant anthropogenic aerosol water in the atmosphere of Beijing. The enrichment of aerosol liquid water may significantly affect the particle phase, which plays a key role in determining the reactive uptake, gas-particle partitioning, and heterogeneous chemical reactivity2. A newly-built three-arm impactor was used to detect the particle rebound fraction. The observations showed the increased RH and inorganic-rich particulate matter led to an increased aerosol liquid water content, and thus a liquid phase state during haze episode during wintertime. Here, we proposed that the transition to a liquid phase state marked the beginning of the haze episode and kicked off a positive feedback loop, wherein the liquid particles readily uptake pollutants that could react to form inorganics which could then uptake more water. The strict controlling strategy of sulfur emissions in China might lead to a decreased sulfate fraction and increased nitrate fraction in PM1. As a result, due to the lower deliquescence RH of nitrate, the feedback loop proposed could start at an even lower RH in the future. Reference1 Herrmann, H., T. Schaefer, A. Tilgner, S. A. Styler, C. Weller, M. Teich, and T. Otto (2015), Tropospheric Aqueous-Phase Chemistry: Kinetics, Mechanisms, and Its Coupling to a Changing Gas Phase, Chemical Reviews, 115(10), 4259-4334.2 M. Kuwata, S. T. Martin (2012), Phase of atmospheric secondary organic material affects its reactivity, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(43):17354-17359

Artifacts in measuring aerosol uptake kinetics: the roles of time, concentration and adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. H. Renbaum

2011-07-01

Full Text Available In laboratory studies of organic aerosol particles reacting with gas-phase oxidants, high concentrations of radicals are often used to study on the timescale of seconds reactions which may be occurring over days or weeks in the troposphere. Implicit in this approach is the assumption that radical concentration and time are interchangeable parameters, though this has not been established. Here, the kinetics of OH- and Cl-initiated oxidation reactions of model single-component liquid (squalane and supercooled (brassidic acid and 2-octyldodecanoic acid organic aerosols are studied by varying separately the radical concentration and the reaction time. Two separate flow tubes with residence times of 2 and 66 s are used, and [OH] and [Cl] are varied by adjusting either the laser photolysis fluence or the radical precursor concentration ([O₃] or [Cl₂], respectively used to generate the radicals. It is found that the rates measured by varying the radical concentration and the reaction time are equal only if the precursor concentrations are the same in the two approaches. Further, the rates depend on the concentrations of the precursor species with a Langmuir-type functional form suggesting that O₃ and Cl₂ saturate the surface of the liquid particles. It is believed that the presence of O₃ inhibits the rate of OH reaction, perhaps by reacting with OH radicals or by O₃ or intermediate species blocking surface sites, while Cl₂ enhances the rate of Cl reaction by participating in a radical chain mechanism. These results have important implications for laboratory experiments in which high concentrations of gas-phase oxidants are used to study atmospheric reactions over short timescales and may explain the variability in recent measurements of the reactive uptake of OH on squalane particles in reactor systems used in this and other laboratories.

Modelling the background aerosol climatologies (1989-2010) for the Mediterranean basin

Science.gov (United States)

Jimenez-Guerrero, Pedro; Jerez, Sonia

2014-05-01

Aerosol levels and composition are influenced by multiple atmospheric physico-chemical processes that can affect them from its release point (as primary aerosol), or via gas-to-particle conversion processes that give rise to secondary aerosols. The contribution of the various aerosol sources, the role of long-range transport and the contribution of primary and secondary particulate matter to the ambient aerosol concentrations over Europe are not well known (Kulmala et al., 2009). Focusing on the Mediterranean, Querol et al. (2009) point out that there is a lack of studies on the variability of particulate matter (PM) along the Mediterranean basin, necessary for understanding the special features that differentiate aerosol processes between the western, eastern and central Mediterranean basins. In this perspective, modelling systems based on state-of-science chemistry transport models (CTMs) are fundamental elements to investigate the transport and chemistry of pollutants behaviour at different scales and to assess the impact of emissions in aerosol levels and composition. Therefore, this study aims to summarise the results on the levels and chemical composition of aerosols along the Mediterranean basin, highlighting the marked gradient between the western-central-eastern coasts. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the seasonality of PM composition and levels. For this purpose, the regional modelling system WRF-CHIMERE-EMEP has been implemented for conducting a full transient simulation for the ERA-Interim period (1989-2010) using year-to-year changing EMEP emissions. The domain of study covers Europe with a horizontal resolution of 25 km and a vertical resolution of 23 layers in the troposphere; however the analysis focuses on the Mediterranean area. The PM levels and composition are compared to the measured values reported by the EMEP network, showing a good agreement with observations for both western and eastern Mediterranean. The modelling results for

Remote sensing of aerosol characteristics and radiative forcing in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alam, K.

2011-01-01

.83 (440 nm) to 0.97 (1020 nm) over Lahore and Karachi. The SSA and imaginary parts of the refractive index values reveals that absorbing aerosols due to human activities (like industries and transport) are more dominant over Lahore than Karachi. The average ARF values over Lahore and Karachi were -22.5±5.9 Wm -2 and -18±2.2 Wm -2 at the top of atmosphere and -96±13 Wm -2 and -60±6.8 Wm -2 at the surface, respectively. The corresponding average atmospheric forcing is 74.56±16.8 Wm -2 over Lahore and 41.85±6.4 Wm -2 over Karachi - indicating significant heating of atmosphere at both sites. The relationships between AOD and four other cloud parameters, namely water vapour (WV), cloud fraction (CF), cloud top temperature (CTT) and cloud top pressure (CTP) are also investigated. The analyses showed strong positive correlations between AOD and WV for all selected cities. The correlation between AOD and CF was positive for cities where the air masses were predominantly humid, but negative for those where the air masses were relatively dry and carried low aerosol abundance. AOD showed a positive correlation with CTP and CTT in the northern areas of Pakistan and a negative correlation in southern areas. Aerosol inventories were also conducted in terms of particle size distributions (N), mass (M) concentrations, and particulate matter (PM) concentrations. These M and PM concentrations were obtained for Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar from N concentrations using a native algorithm based on the Grimm model 1.109 dust monitor. PM10 and PM2.5 (24 hour average) concentrations at all sampling points were between 2 and 10 times higher than the maximum PM concentrations recommended by the WHO guidelines. Considering the high ambient aerosol concentrations, regional lung deposition of aerosol particles in the human respiratory tract was calculated using the stochastic lung deposition code IDEAL (Inhalation, Deposition and Exhalation of Aerosols in the Lung) to assess the

Situación actual en España de los aerosoles insecticidas registrados en sanidad ambiental para uso doméstico

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Josefa Moreno Marí

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Biocidas a través del Real Decreto 1.054/2002 conllevará un cambio sustancial en distintos aspectos de la Sanidad Ambiental. Para evaluar la incidencia de estos cambios se presenta un análisis de la situación actual, a partir del cual se podrán valorar adecuadamente las consecuencias de la implantación de la Directiva en España, así como establecer los aspectos básicos que se deben analizar con vistas al establecimiento de un Registro de Biocidas acorde con dicho Real Decreto. Métodos: El análisis se ha efectuado a partir de los datos que figuran en la base de datos del Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo sobre los insecticidas registrados para Uso Doméstico presentados como aerosol. La elección de los aerosoles se ha realizado por tratarse del tipo de formulación más numerosa y utilizada para uso doméstico. Resultados: En la formulación de estos aerosoles intervienen 25 insecticidas, 1 desinfectante y 2 sinergizantes. La mayoría de los 298 aerosoles insecticidas presentan algún piretroide en su composición, sólo o en combinación con algún otro compuesto insecticida, desinfectante y/o sinergizante. La mayoría de estos biocidas son mezcla de sustancias activas. Conclusiones: Del análisis realizado se deduce la necesidad de definir nuevos procedimientos de evaluación de la eficacia de los formulados preparados para el uso (diseño de protocolos de ensayo estandarizados, evaluación de la eficacia sobre las distintas especies plaga, efecto de la mezcla de materias activas, plazos de seguridad,..., además de los aspectos referentes a la toxicología, ecotoxicología o características físico-químicas.

Investigation of the CCN Activity, BC and UVBC Mass Concentrations of Biomass Burning Aerosols during the 2013 BASELInE Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Ta-Chih; Ye, Wei-Cheng; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Tsay, Si-Chee; Chen, Wei-Nai; Lin, Neng-Huei; Lee, Chung-Te; Hung, Hui-Ming; Chuang, Ming-Tung; Chantara, Somporn

2015-01-01

Biomass-burning (BB) aerosols, acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), can influence cloud microphysical and radiative properties. In this study, we present CCN measured near the BB source regions over northern Southeast Asia (Doi Ang Khang, Thailand) and at downwind receptor areas (Lulin Atmospheric Background Station, Taiwan), focusing exclusively on 13-20 March 2013 as part of 2013 spring campaign of the Seven SouthEast Asian Studies (7-SEAS) intensive observation. One of the campaigns objectives is to characterize BB aerosols serving as CCN in SouthEast Asia (SEA). CCN concentrations were measured by a CCN counter at 5 supersaturation (SS) levels: 0.15%, 0.30%, 0.45%, 0.60%, and 0.75%. In addition, PM2.5 and black carbon mass concentrations were analyzed by using a tapered element oscillating microbalance and an aethalometer. It was found the number-size distributions and the characteristics of hygroscopicity (e.g., activation ratio and k) of BB aerosols in SEA have a strong diurnal pattern, and different behaviors of patterns were characterized under two distinct weather systems. The overall average value was low (0.05-0.1) but comparable with previous CCN studies in other BB source regions. Furthermore, a large fraction of UV-absorbing organic material (UVBC) and high Delta-C among BB aerosols were also observed, which suggest the existence of substantial particulate organic matter in fresh BB aerosols. These data provide the most extensive characterization of BB aerosols in SEA until now.

Facility of aerosol filtration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duverger de Cuy, G; Regnier, J

1975-04-18

Said invention relates to a facility of aerosol filtration, particularly of sodium aerosols. Said facility is of special interest for fast reactors where sodium fires involve the possibility of high concentrations of sodium aerosols which soon clog up conventional filters. The facility intended for continuous operation, includes at the pre-filtering stage, means for increasing the size of the aerosol particles and separating clustered particles (cyclone separator).

Light-Absorbing Aerosol during NASA GRIP: Overview of Observations in the Free Troposphere and Associated with Tropical Storm Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ziemba, L. D.; Beyersdorf, A. J.; Chen, G.; Corr, C. A.; Craig, L.; Dhaniyala, S.; Dibb, J. E.; Hudgins, C. H.; Ismail, S.; Latham, T.; Nenes, A.; Thornhill, K. L.; Winstead, E.; Anderson, B. E.

2010-12-01

Aerosols play a significant role in regulating Earth’s climate. Absorbing aerosols typically constitute a small fraction of ambient particle mass but can contribute significantly to direct and indirect climate forcing depending on size, mixing state, concentration, chemical composition, and vertical and spatial distribution. Aerosols may also significantly affect tropical storm/hurricane dynamics through direct light absorption and activation as cloud nuclei. An extensive suite of instrumentation measuring aerosol chemical, physical, and optical properties was deployed aboard the NASA DC-8 to characterize aerosol during the NASA GRIP (Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes; August-September 2010) mission. The majority of flight time was spent at high altitude (greater than 9 km) and thus much of the sampling was done in the free troposphere, including extensive sampling in the vicinity of tropical storm systems and more diffuse cirrus clouds. With operations based in Fort Lauderdale, FL and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, a large geographic region was sampled including much of the Gulf of Mexico and tropical Atlantic Ocean. Observations are reported for light-absorbing carbon aerosol (mainly black carbon, BC) primarily using a single particle soot photometer (SP2). The SP2 employs single-particle laser-induced incandescence to provide a mass-specific measurement not subject to scattering interference that is optimal for the low concentration environments like those encountered during GRIP. BC mass concentrations, 100-500 nm size distributions, and mixing state (i.e. coating thickness of scattering material) are presented. Total and sub-micron aerosol absorption coefficients (principally from BC and dust aerosol) are reported using a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP) along with comparisons with calculated absorption coefficients derived from SP2 observations in various conditions. In addition, dust aerosol is specifically identified using optical and

Can Condensing Organic Aerosols Lead to Less Cloud Particles?

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, C. Y.; Tsigaridis, K.; Bauer, S.

2017-12-01

We examined the impact of condensing organic aerosols on activated cloud number concentration in a new aerosol microphysics box model, MATRIX-VBS. The model includes the volatility-basis set (VBS) framework in an aerosol microphysical scheme MATRIX (Multiconfiguration Aerosol TRacker of mIXing state) that resolves aerosol mass and number concentrations and aerosol mixing state. Preliminary results show that by including the condensation of organic aerosols, the new model (MATRIX-VBS) has less activated particles compared to the original model (MATRIX), which treats organic aerosols as non-volatile. Parameters such as aerosol chemical composition, mass and number concentrations, and particle sizes which affect activated cloud number concentration are thoroughly evaluated via a suite of Monte-Carlo simulations. The Monte-Carlo simulations also provide information on which climate-relevant parameters play a critical role in the aerosol evolution in the atmosphere. This study also helps simplifying the newly developed box model which will soon be implemented in the global model GISS ModelE as a module.

Real-Time Observations of Secondary Aerosol Formation and Aging from Different Emission Sources and Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, A. M.; Palm, B. B.; Hayes, P. L.; Day, D. A.; Cubison, M.; Brune, W. H.; Hu, W.; Flynn, J. H.; Grossberg, N.; Lefer, B. L.; Rappenglueck, B.; Bon, D.; Graus, M.; Warneke, C.; Gilman, J.; Kuster, W.; De Gouw, J. A.; Jimenez, J. L.

2013-12-01

To investigate atmospheric processing of direct urban and wildfire emissions, we deployed a photochemical flow reactor (Potential Aerosol Mass, PAM) with submicron aerosol size and chemical composition measurements during FLAME-3, a biomass-burning study at USDA Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, MT, and CalNex, a field study investigating the nexus of air quality and climate change at a receptor site in the LA-Basin at Pasadena, CA. The reactor produces OH concentrations up to 4 orders of magnitude higher than in ambient air, achieving equivalent aging of ~2 weeks in 5 minutes of processing. The OH exposure (OHexp) was stepped every 20 min in both field studies. Results show the value of this approach as a tool for in-situ evaluation of changes in OA concentration and composition due to photochemical processing. In FLAME-3, the average OA enhancement factor was 1.42 × 0.36 of the initial POA. Reactive VOCs, such as toluene, monoterpenes, and acetaldehyde, decreased with increased OHexp; however, formic acid, acetone, and some unidentified OVOCs increased after significant exposure. Net SOA formation in the photochemical reactor increased with OHexp, typically peaking around 3 days of equivalent atmospheric photochemical age (OHexp ~3.9e11 molecules cm-3 s), then leveling off at higher exposures. Unlike other studies, no decrease in OA is observed at high exposure, likely due to lower max OHexp in this study due to very high OH reactivity. 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. Results from CalNex show enhancement of OA and inorganic aerosol from gas-phase precursors

Source apportionment of size and time resolved trace elements and organic aerosols from an urban courtyard site in Switzerland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Richard

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Time and size resolved data of trace elements were obtained from measurements with a rotating drum impactor (RDI and subsequent X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Trace elements can act as indicators for the identification of sources of particulate matter <10 μm (PM₁₀ in ambient air. Receptor modeling was performed with positive matrix factorization (PMF for trace element data from an urban background site in Zürich, Switzerland. Eight different sources were identified for the three examined size ranges (PM_1−0.1, PM_2.5−1 and PM_10−2.5: secondary sulfate, wood combustion, fire works, road traffic, mineral dust, de-icing salt, industrial and local anthropogenic activities. The major component was secondary sulfate for the smallest size range; the road traffic factor was found in all three size ranges. This trace element analysis is complemented with data from an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS, assessing the PM₁ fraction of organic aerosols. A separate PMF analysis revealed three factors related to three of the sources found with the RDI: oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA, related to inorganic secondary sulfate, hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA, related to road traffic and biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA, explaining 60 %, 22 % and 17 % of total measured organics, respectively. Since different compounds are used for the source classification, a higher percentage of the ambient PM₁₀ mass concentration can be apportioned to sources by the combination of both methods.

Vertical profiles of aerosol mass concentration derived by unmanned airborne in situ and remote sensing instruments during dust events

Science.gov (United States)

Mamali, Dimitra; Marinou, Eleni; Sciare, Jean; Pikridas, Michael; Kokkalis, Panagiotis; Kottas, Michael; Binietoglou, Ioannis; Tsekeri, Alexandra; Keleshis, Christos; Engelmann, Ronny; Baars, Holger; Ansmann, Albert; Amiridis, Vassilis; Russchenberg, Herman; Biskos, George

2018-05-01

In situ measurements using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remote sensing observations can independently provide dense vertically resolved measurements of atmospheric aerosols, information which is strongly required in climate models. In both cases, inverting the recorded signals to useful information requires assumptions and constraints, and this can make the comparison of the results difficult. Here we compare, for the first time, vertical profiles of the aerosol mass concentration derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) observations and in situ measurements using an optical particle counter on board a UAV during moderate and weak Saharan dust episodes. Agreement between the two measurement methods was within experimental uncertainty for the coarse mode (i.e. particles having radii > 0.5 µm), where the properties of dust particles can be assumed with good accuracy. This result proves that the two techniques can be used interchangeably for determining the vertical profiles of aerosol concentrations, bringing them a step closer towards their systematic exploitation in climate models.

Correlations between atmospheric aerosol trace element concentrations and red tide at Port Aransas, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biegalski, S.R.; Villareal, T.A.

2005-01-01

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) was employed as an analytical technique to measure atmospheric aerosol concentrations of trace metals in Port Aransas, TX on the Gulf of Mexico. The sources of atmospheric aerosols and the seasonal variation of the sources are explored. High atmospheric iron concentrations are then shown to have a possible correlation to the occurrences of red tide in this region. The data shows that this correlation is plausible, but due to the many factors that affect red tide growth a definitive conclusion may not be reached. The period of study for these measurements was September 12, 2000 to January 4, 2002. (author)

Ambient concentrations and personal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in an urban community with mixed sources of air pollution

Science.gov (United States)

ZHU, XIANLEI; FAN, ZHIHUA (TINA); WU, XIANGMEI; JUNG, KYUNG HWA; OHMAN-STRICKLAND, PAMELA; BONANNO, LINDA J.; LIOY, PAUL J.

2014-01-01

Assessment of the health risks resulting from exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is limited by a lack of environmental exposure data among the general population. This study characterized personal exposure and ambient concentrations of PAH in the Village of Waterfront South (WFS), an urban community with many mixed sources of air toxics in Camden, New Jersey, and CopeWood/Davis Streets (CDS), an urban reference area located ~1 mile east of WFS. A total of 54 and 53 participants were recruited from non-smoking households in WFS and CDS, respectively. In all, 24-h personal and ambient air samples were collected simultaneously in both areas on weekdays and weekends during summer and winter. The ambient PAH concentrations in WFS were either significantly higher than or comparable to those in CDS, indicating the significant impact of local sources on PAH pollution in WFS. Analysis of diagnostic ratios and correlation suggested that diesel truck traffic, municipal waste combustion and industrial combustion were the major sources in WFS. In such an area, ambient air pollution contributed significantly to personal PAH exposure, explaining 44–96% of variability in personal concentrations. This study provides valuable data for examining the impact of local ambient PAH pollution on personal exposure and therefore potential health risks associated with environmental PAH pollution. PMID:21364704

Characterization of aerosol emitted by the combustion of nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Motzkus, C; Chivas-Joly, C; Guillaume, E; Ducourtieux, S; Saragoza, L; Lesenechal, D; Mace, T, E-mail: charles.motzkus@lne.fr [LNE, 29 Avenue Roger Hennequin, 78197 Trappes Cedex (France)

2011-07-06

Day after day, new applications using nanoparticles appear in industry, increasing the probability to find these particles in the workplace as well as in ambient air. As epidemiological studies have shown an association between increased particulate air pollution and adverse health effects in susceptible members of the population, it is particularly important to characterize aerosols emitted by different sources of emission, during the combustion of composites charged with nanoparticles for example. The present study is led in the framework of the NANOFEU project, supported by the French Research Agency (ANR), in order to characterize the fire behaviour of polymers charged with suitable nanoparticles and make an alternative to retardant systems usually employed. To determine the impact of these composites on the emission of airborne particles produced during their combustions, an experimental setup has been developed to measure the mass distribution in the range of 30 nm - 10 {mu}m and the number concentration of submicrometric particles of the produced aerosol. A comparison is performed on the aerosol emitted during the combustion of several polymers alone (PMMA, PA-6), polymers containing nanofillers (silica, alumina, and carbon nanotubes) and polymers containing both nanofillers and a conventional flame retardant system (ammonium polyphosphate). The results on the morphology of particles were also investigated using AFM.

Comparing the mechanism of water condensation and evaporation in glassy aerosol.

Science.gov (United States)

Bones, David L; Reid, Jonathan P; Lienhard, Daniel M; Krieger, Ulrich K

2012-07-17

Atmospheric models generally assume that aerosol particles are in equilibrium with the surrounding gas phase. However, recent observations that secondary organic aerosols can exist in a glassy state have highlighted the need to more fully understand the kinetic limitations that may control water partitioning in ambient particles. Here, we explore the influence of slow water diffusion in the condensed aerosol phase on the rates of both condensation and evaporation, demonstrating that significant inhibition in mass transfer occurs for ultraviscous aerosol, not just for glassy aerosol. Using coarse mode (3-4 um radius) ternary sucrose/sodium chloride/aqueous droplets as a proxy for multicomponent ambient aerosol, we demonstrate that the timescale for particle equilibration correlates with bulk viscosity and can be ≫10(3) s. Extrapolation of these timescales to particle sizes in the accumulation mode (e.g., approximately 100 nm) by applying the Stokes-Einstein equation suggests that the kinetic limitations imposed on mass transfer of water by slow bulk phase diffusion must be more fully investigated for atmospheric aerosol. Measurements have been made on particles covering a range in dynamic viscosity from  10(13) Pa s. We also retrieve the radial inhomogeneities apparent in particle composition during condensation and evaporation and contrast the dynamics of slow dissolution of a viscous core into a labile shell during condensation with the slow percolation of water during evaporation through a more homogeneous viscous particle bulk.

Atmospheric aerosol sampling campaign in Budapest and K-puszta. Part 1. Elemental concentrations and size distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobos, E.; Borbely-Kiss, I.; Kertesz, Zs.; Szabo, Gy.; Salma, I.

2004-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Atmospheric aerosol samples were collected in a sampling campaign from 24 July to 1 Au- gust, 2003 in Hungary. The sampling were performed in two places simultaneously: in Budapest (urban site) and K-puszta (remote area). Two PIXE International 7-stage cascade impactors were used for aerosol sampling with 24 hours duration. These impactors separate the aerosol into 7 size ranges. The elemental concentrations of the samples were obtained by proton-induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) analysis. Size distributions of S, Si, Ca, W, Zn, Pb and Fe elements were investigated in K-puszta and in Budapest. Average rates (shown in Table 1) of the elemental concentrations was calculated for each stage (in %) from the obtained distributions. The elements can be grouped into two parts on the basis of these data. The majority of the particle containing Fe, Si, Ca, (Ti) are in the 2-8 μm size range (first group). These soil origin elements were found usually in higher concentration in Budapest than in K-puszta (Fig.1.). The second group consisted of S, Pb and (W). The majority of these elements was found in the 0.25-1 μm size range and was much higher in Budapest than in K-puszta. W was measured only in samples collected in Budapest. Zn has uniform distribution in Budapest and does not belong to the above mentioned groups. This work was supported by the National Research and Development Program (NRDP 3/005/2001). (author)

Aerosols radioactivity in the Bratislava atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sykora, I.; Chudy, M.; Durana, L.; Holy, K.; Meresova, J.

2001-01-01

In our laboratory we measured temporal variation of 7 Be concentration in the atmosphere in period 1977 -1994 years. The aerosols were collected through every month at Hydrometeorological Institute in Bratislava-Koliba, latitude 48 grad 10' and altitude 286 m above sea level. Since end of year 2000 we have started to continue monitoring radioactivity of atmosphere aerosols in new locality in Bratislava-Mlynska dolina. Beside 7 Be we measured also 210 Pb radionuclide aerosols concentration. For measured values 7 Be concentrations are considered corrections for decay radionuclide during the time of filters collection, time between end of collection and measurement and decay during the time of measurement. Obtained results for 7 Be concentrations in aerosols shows seasonal summer maximum, but for 210 Pb concentration in aerosols the seasonal variations are not evident. The temporal variations of this radionuclide which is originated in ground-level atmosphere are more sensitive on meteorological factors and can be also influenced by the industrial activity. For better understanding is needed long term monitoring. (authors)

Relative humidity impact on aerosol parameters in a Paris suburban area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Randriamiarisoa

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Measurements of relative humidity (RH and aerosol parameters (scattering cross section, size distributions and chemical composition, performed in ambient atmospheric conditions, have been used to study the influence of relative humidity on aerosol properties. The data were acquired in a suburban area south of Paris, between 18 and 24 July 2000, in the framework of the 'Etude et Simulation de la Qualité de l'air en Ile-de-France' (ESQUIF program. According to the origin of the air masses arriving over the Paris area, the aerosol hygroscopicity is more or less pronounced. The aerosol chemical composition data were used as input of a thermodynamic model to simulate the variation of the aerosol water mass content with ambient RH and to determine the main inorganic salt compounds. The coupling of observations and modelling reveals the presence of deliquescence processes with hysteresis phenomenon in the hygroscopic growth cycle. Based on the Hänel model, parameterisations of the scattering cross section, the modal radius of the accumulation mode of the size distribution and the aerosol water mass content, as a function of increasing RH, have been assessed. For the first time, a crosscheck of these parameterisations has been performed and shows that the hygroscopic behaviour of the accumulation mode can be coherently characterized by combined optical, size distribution and chemical measurements.

Highly-controlled, reproducible measurements of aerosol emissions from African biomass combustion

Science.gov (United States)

Haslett, Sophie; Thomas, J. Chris; Morgan, William; Hadden, Rory; Liu, Dantong; Allan, James; Williams, Paul; Sekou, Keïta; Liousse, Catherine; Coe, Hugh

2017-04-01

Particulate emissions from biomass burning can alter the atmosphere's radiative balance and cause significant harm to human health. However, the relationship between these emissions and fundamental combustion processes is, to date, poorly characterised. In atmospheric models, aerosol emissions are represented by emission factors based on mass loss, which are averaged over an entire combustion event for each particulate species. This approach, however, masks huge variability in emissions during different phases of the combustion period. Laboratory tests have shown that even small changes to the burning environment can lead to huge variation in observed aerosol emission factors (Akagi et al., 2011). In order to address this gap in understanding, in this study, small wood samples sourced from Côte D'Ivoire were burned in a highly-controlled laboratory environment. The shape and mass of samples, available airflow and surrounding heat were carefully regulated. Organic aerosol and refractory black carbon emissions were measured in real-time using an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer and a Single Particle Soot Photometer, respectively. Both of these instruments are used regularly to measure aerosol concentrations in the field. This methodology produced remarkably repeatable results, allowing three different phases of combustion to be identified by their emissions. Black carbon was emitted predominantly during flaming combustion; organic aerosols were emitted during pyrolysis before ignition and from smouldering-dominated behaviour near the end of combustion. During the flaming period, there was a strong correlation between the emission of black carbon and the rate of mass loss, which suggests there is value in employing a mass-based emission factor for this species. However, very little correlation was seen between organic aerosol and mass loss throughout the tests. As such, results here suggest that emission factors averaged over an entire combustion event are unlikely to be

Chemical and isotopic composition of secondary organic aerosol generated by alpha-pinene ozonolysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meusinger, Carl; Dusek, Ulrike; King, Stephanie M.; Holzinger, Rupert; Rosenorn, Thomas; Sperlich, Peter; Julien, Maxime; Remaud, Gerald S.; Bilde, Merete; Rockmann, Thomas; Johnson, Matthew S.

2017-01-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) plays a central role in air pollution and climate. However, the description of the sources and mechanisms leading to SOA is elusive despite decades of research. While stable isotope analysis is increasingly used to constrain sources of ambient aerosol, in many cases

Single particle characterization using a light scattering module coupled to a time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, E. S.; Onasch, T. B.; Canagaratna, M.; Jayne, J. T.; Kimmel, J.; Yu, X.-Y.; Alexander, M. L.; Worsnop, D. R.; Davidovits, P.

2008-12-01

We present the first single particle results obtained using an Aerodyne time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer coupled with a light scattering module (LS-ToF-AMS). The instrument was deployed at the T1 ground site approximately 40 km northeast of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) as part of the MILAGRO field study in March of 2006. The instrument was operated as a standard AMS from 12-30 March, acquiring average chemical composition and size distributions for the ambient aerosol, and in single particle mode from 27-30 March. Over a 75-h sampling period, 12 853 single particle mass spectra were optically triggered, saved, and analyzed. The correlated optical and chemical detection allowed detailed examination of single particle collection and quantification within the LS-ToF-AMS. The single particle data enabled the mixing states of the ambient aerosol to be characterized within the context of the size-resolved ensemble chemical information. The particulate mixing states were examined as a function of sampling time and most of the particles were found to be internal mixtures containing many of the organic and inorganic species identified in the ensemble analysis. The single particle mass spectra were deconvolved, using techniques developed for ensemble AMS data analysis, into HOA, OOA, NH4NO3, (NH4)2SO4, and NH4Cl fractions. Average single particle mass and chemistry measurements are shown to be in agreement with ensemble MS and PTOF measurements. While a significant fraction of ambient particles were internal mixtures of varying degrees, single particle measurements of chemical composition allowed the identification of time periods during which the ambient ensemble was externally mixed. In some cases the chemical composition of the particles suggested a likely source. Throughout the full sampling period, the ambient ensemble was an external mixture of combustion-generated HOA particles from local sources (e.g. traffic), with number concentrations peaking

Aerosol behaviour modeling and measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gieseke, J A; Reed, L D [Batelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)

1977-01-01

Aerosol behavior within Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) containments is of critical importance since most of the radioactive species are expected to be associated with particulate forms and the mass of radiologically significant material leaked to the ambient atmosphere is directly related to the aerosol concentration airborne within the containment. Mathematical models describing the behavior of aerosols in closed environments, besides providing a direct means of assessing the importance of specific assumptions regarding accident sequences, will also serve as the basic tool with which to predict the consequences of various postulated accident situations. Consequently, considerable efforts have been recently directed toward the development of accurate and physically realistic theoretical aerosol behavior models. These models have accounted for various mechanisms affecting agglomeration rates of airborne particulate matter as well as particle removal rates from closed systems. In all cases, spatial variations within containments have been neglected and a well-mixed control volume has been assumed. Examples of existing computer codes formulated from the mathematical aerosol behavior models are the Brookhaven National Laboratory TRAP code, the PARDISEKO-II and PARDISEKO-III codes developed at Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center, and the HAA-2, HAA-3, and HAA-3B codes developed by Atomics International. Because of their attractive short computation times, the HAA-3 and HAA-3B codes have been used extensively for safety analyses and are attractive candidates with which to demonstrate order of magnitude estimates of the effects of various physical assumptions. Therefore, the HAA-3B code was used as the nucleus upon which changes have been made to account for various physical mechanisms which are expected to be present in postulated accident situations and the latest of the resulting codes has been termed the HAARM-2 code. It is the primary purpose of the HAARM

Using high-resolution satellite aerosol optical depth to estimate daily PM2.5 geographical distribution in Mexico City

OpenAIRE

Just, Allan C.; Wright, Robert O.; Schwartz, Joel; Coull, Brent A.; Baccarelli, Andrea A.; Tellez-Rojo, Martha María; Moody, Emily; Wang, Yujie; Lyapustin, Alexei; Kloog, Itai

2015-01-01

Recent advances in estimating fine particle (PM2.5) ambient concentrations use daily satellite measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD) for spatially and temporally resolved exposure estimates. Mexico City is a dense megacity that differs from other previously modeled regions in several ways: it has bright land surfaces, a distinctive climatological cycle, and an elevated semi-enclosed air basin with a unique planetary boundary layer dynamic. We extend our previous satellite methodology to...

Determination of light elements concentration in aerosols by X emission induced by deuteron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morales, J.R.; Romo, C.

1983-01-01

Absolute concentrations for Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe and Cu were obtained in the range from 10 ng/m 3 to 10 4 ng/m 3 in aerosols from Santiago. A 4,2 MeV deuteron beam was used to induce characteristic X-ray emission. It was found that relative abundance of these elements is maintained for days of high and low total suspended particulates. (Author)

Tritium concentration in ambient air around Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant

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Srinivas S Kamath

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Tritium (3H is one of the important long-lived radioisotopes in the gaseous effluent from nuclear power plants. In this article, we present the results of 3H monitoring in ambient air samples around the Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant, on the West Coast of India. Air samples were collected by moisture condensation method and the 3H concentration was determined by liquid scintillation spectrometry. The 3H concentration in the 2.3–15 km zone of the power plant varied in the range of <0.04–6.64 Bq m−3 with a median of 0.67 Bq m−3. The samples collected from the 2.3–5 km zone of the power plant exhibit marginally higher concentration when compared to the 5–10 km and 10–15 km zones, which is as expected. The values observed in the present study for Kaiga region are similar to those reported from other nuclear power plants, both within India and other parts of the world.

In situ acidity and pH of size-fractionated aerosols during a recent smoke-haze episode in Southeast Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Behera, Sailesh N; Cheng, Jinping; Balasubramanian, Rajasekhar

2015-10-01

The characterization of aerosol acidity has received increased attention in recent years due to its influence on atmospheric visibility, climate change and human health. Distribution of water soluble inorganic (WSI) ions in 12 different size fractions of aerosols was investigated under two different atmospheric conditions (smoke-haze and non-haze periods) in 2012 using the Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) and nano-MOUDI for the first time in Singapore. To estimate the in situ acidity ([H(+)]Ins) and in situ aerosol pH (pHIS), the Aerosol Inorganic Model version-IV under deliquescent mode of airborne particles was used at prevailing ambient temperature and relative humidity. The study revealed an increase in the levels of airborne particulate matter (PM) mass and concentrations of WSI ions for all size fractions during the smoke-haze period, which was caused by the trans-boundary transport of biomass burning-impacted air masses from Indonesia. A bimodal distribution was observed for concentrations of SO4(2-), NO3(-), Cl(-), K(+) and Na(+), whereas concentrations of NH4(+), Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) showed a single mode distribution. The concentration of WSI ions in PM1.8 during the smoke-haze period increased by 3.8 (for SO4(2-)) to 10.5 (for K(+)) times more than those observed during the non-haze period. The pHIS were observed to be lower during the smoke-haze period than that during the non-haze period for all size fractions of PM, indicating that atmospheric aerosols were more acidic due to the influence of biomass burning emissions. The particles in the accumulation mode were more acidic than those in the coarse mode.

Projecting future summer mortality due to ambient ozone concentration and temperature changes

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae Young; Lee, Soo Hyun; Hong, Sung-Chul; Kim, Ho

2017-05-01

Climate change is known to affect the human health both directly by increased heat stress and indirectly by altering environments, particularly by altering the rate of ambient ozone formation in the atmosphere. Thus, the risks of climate change may be underestimated if the effects of both future temperature and ambient ozone concentrations are not considered. This study presents a projection of future summer non-accidental mortality in seven major cities of South Korea during the 2020s (2016-2025) and 2050s (2046-2055) considering changes in temperature and ozone concentration, which were predicted by using the HadGEM3-RA model and Integrated Climate and Air Quality Modeling System, respectively. Four Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5) were considered. The result shows that non-accidental summer mortality will increase by 0.5%, 0.0%, 0.4%, and 0.4% in the 2020s, 1.9%, 1.5%, 1.2%, and 4.4% in the 2050s due to temperature change compared to the baseline mortality during 2001-2010, under RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5, respectively, whereas the mortality will increase by 0.0%, 0.5%, 0.0%, and 0.5% in the 2020s, and 0.2%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% in the 2050s due to ozone concentration change. The projection result shows that the future summer morality in South Korea is increased due to changes in both temperature and ozone, and the magnitude of ozone-related increase is much smaller than that of temperature-related increase, especially in the 2050s.

MATRIX (Multiconfiguration Aerosol TRacker of mIXing state: an aerosol microphysical module for global atmospheric models

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S. E. Bauer

2008-10-01

Full Text Available A new aerosol microphysical module MATRIX, the Multiconfiguration Aerosol TRacker of mIXing state, and its application in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS climate model (ModelE are described. This module, which is based on the quadrature method of moments (QMOM, represents nucleation, condensation, coagulation, internal and external mixing, and cloud-drop activation and provides aerosol particle mass and number concentration and particle size information for up to 16 mixed-mode aerosol populations. Internal and external mixing among aerosol components sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, carbonaceous aerosols, dust and sea-salt particles are represented. The solubility of each aerosol population, which is explicitly calculated based on its soluble and insoluble components, enables calculation of the dependence of cloud drop activation on the microphysical characterization of multiple soluble aerosol populations.

A detailed model description and results of box-model simulations of various aerosol population configurations are presented. The box model experiments demonstrate the dependence of cloud activating aerosol number concentration on the aerosol population configuration; comparisons to sectional models are quite favorable. MATRIX is incorporated into the GISS climate model and simulations are carried out primarily to assess its performance/efficiency for global-scale atmospheric model application. Simulation results were compared with aircraft and station measurements of aerosol mass and number concentration and particle size to assess the ability of the new method to yield data suitable for such comparison. The model accurately captures the observed size distributions in the Aitken and accumulation modes up to particle diameter 1 μm, in which sulfate, nitrate, black and organic carbon are predominantly located; however the model underestimates coarse-mode number concentration and size, especially in the marine environment

Measurements of Aerosol Characteristics in Skocjan Caves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jovanovic, P.

2013-01-01

Measurements of radon concentration and radon progeny concentration (attached and unattached) have been performed in Skocjan caves. In the same time also aerosol concentration (PM 10 ), aerosol size distribution with ten stage Hauke impactor and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer - SMPS have been performed. The idea was to find impact of outer air and visitors to the aerosol characteristics of cave air. Measurements with impactor have been implemented in summer and winter period, with SMPS only in summer period. Radon concentrations ranged in winter period in region from 500 to 1000 Bq/m 3 , equilibrium factor was about 55 %. In summer period radon concentration increased up to 10 kBq/m 3 , equilibrium factor was about 45 %, and unattached fraction went up to 20 %. Measurements of aerosol size distribution show lower aerosol sizes in winter season (around 1 μm) and bigger aerosol sizes in summer season (around 3 - 6 μm). We could not find good correlation between unattached fraction and aerosol size distribution. Also we could not find clear impact of visitors to the air characteristics in cave. Probably our measuring location was too close to the entrance and the impact of outer air was too high. We will repeat measurements deeper in cave to find better results.(author)

Influence of ambient (outdoor) sources on residential indoor and personal PM2.5 concentrations: analyses of RIOPA data.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Qing Yu; Turpin, Barbara J; Korn, Leo; Weisel, Clifford P; Morandi, Maria; Colome, Steven; Zhang, Junfeng Jim; Stock, Thomas; Spektor, Dalia; Winer, Arthur; Zhang, Lin; Lee, Jong Hoon; Giovanetti, Robert; Cui, William; Kwon, Jaymin; Alimokhtari, Shahnaz; Shendell, Derek; Jones, Jennifer; Farrar, Corice; Maberti, Silvia

2005-01-01

The Relationship of Indoor, Outdoor and Personal Air (RIOPA) study was designed to investigate residential indoor, outdoor and personal exposures to several classes of air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds, carbonyls and fine particles (PM2.5). Samples were collected from summer, 1999 to spring, 2001 in Houston (TX), Los Angeles (CA) and Elizabeth (NJ). Indoor, outdoor and personal PM2.5 samples were collected at 212 nonsmoking residences, 162 of which were sampled twice. Some homes were chosen due to close proximity to ambient sources of one or more target analytes, while others were farther from sources. Median indoor, outdoor and personal PM2.5 mass concentrations for these three sites were 14.4, 15.5 and 31.4 microg/m3, respectively. The contributions of ambient (outdoor) and nonambient sources to indoor and personal concentrations were quantified using a single compartment box model with measured air exchange rate and a random component superposition (RCS) statistical model. The median contribution of ambient sources to indoor PM2.5 concentrations using the mass balance approach was estimated to be 56% for all study homes (63%, 52% and 33% for California, New Jersey and Texas study homes, respectively). Reasonable variations in model assumptions alter median ambient contributions by less than 20%. The mean of the distribution of ambient contributions across study homes agreed well for the mass balance and RCS models, but the distribution was somewhat broader when calculated using the mass balance model with measured air exchange rates.

Effects of relative humidity on aerosol light scattering in the Arctic

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P. Zieger

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Aerosol particles experience hygroscopic growth in the ambient atmosphere. Their optical properties – especially the aerosol light scattering – are therefore strongly dependent on the ambient relative humidity (RH. In-situ light scattering measurements of long-term observations are usually performed under dry conditions (RH>30–40%. The knowledge of this RH effect is of eminent importance for climate forcing calculations or for the comparison of remote sensing with in-situ measurements. This study combines measurements and model calculations to describe the RH effect on aerosol light scattering for the first time for aerosol particles present in summer and fall in the high Arctic. For this purpose, a field campaign was carried out from July to October 2008 at the Zeppelin station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The aerosol light scattering coefficient σ_sp(λ was measured at three distinct wavelengths (λ=450, 550, and 700 nm at dry and at various, predefined RH conditions between 20% and 95% with a recently developed humidified nephelometer (WetNeph and with a second nephelometer measuring at dry conditions with an average RH<10% (DryNeph. In addition, the aerosol size distribution and the aerosol absorption coefficient were measured. The scattering enhancement factor f(RH, λ is the key parameter to describe the RH effect on σ_sp(λ and is defined as the RH dependent σ_sp(RH, λ divided by the corresponding dry σ_sp(RH_dry, λ. During our campaign the average f(RH=85%, λ=550 nm was 3.24±0.63 (mean ± standard deviation, and no clear wavelength dependence of f(RH, λ was observed. This means that the ambient scattering coefficients at RH=85% were on average about three times higher than the dry measured in-situ scattering coefficients. The RH dependency of the recorded f(RH, λ can be well described by an empirical one-parameter equation. We used a simplified

Real-time, controlled OH-initiated oxidation of biogenic secondary organic aerosol

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J. G. Slowik

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The chemical complexity of atmospheric organic aerosol (OA requires novel methods for characterization of its components and description of its atmospheric processing-induced transformations. We present the first field deployment of the Toronto Photooxidation Tube (TPOT, a field-deployable flow reactor for the controlled exposure of ambient aerosol to OH radicals. The system alternates between sampling of (1 (unreacted ambient aerosol, (2 aerosol exposed to UV light and subjected to a ~4 to 10 °C temperature increase, and (3 aerosol that is oxidized by OH (in addition to the aforementioned UV exposure/temperature increase. This allows both characterization of the aging process and classification of aerosol in terms of its volatility and reaction-based properties. Summertime measurements by an aerosol mass spectrometer coupled to the TPOT were performed in the remote forest of western Canada, resulting in aerosol dominated by biogenic secondary organic aerosol. Volatilization/UV exposure resulted in an approximately 10 to 25% decrease in organic mass and resulted in a slight increase in oxygenation. OH oxidation resulted in a further organic mass decrease (additional ~25% and yielded an aerosol with O:C values comparable to those characteristic of low volatility, highly oxygenated OA. Most OH-induced changes occurred within ~3 day-equivalents of atmospheric processing, with further reactions generally proceeding at a greatly reduced rate. Positive matrix factorization (PMF analysis of the TPOT data yielded five factors. One factor is related to primary biomass burning organic aerosol, while the others describe oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA components in terms of reactivity and volatility: (1 volatile and reactive; (2 non-volatile and reactive; (3 non-volatile and reactive early-generation product; (4 non-volatile and non-reactive product. This PMF classification of aerosol components directly in terms of reactivity and volatility is enabled by

The effect of sea ice loss on sea salt aerosol concentrations and the radiative balance in the Arctic

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H. Struthers

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Understanding Arctic climate change requires knowledge of both the external and the local drivers of Arctic climate as well as local feedbacks within the system. An Arctic feedback mechanism relating changes in sea ice extent to an alteration of the emission of sea salt aerosol and the consequent change in radiative balance is examined. A set of idealized climate model simulations were performed to quantify the radiative effects of changes in sea salt aerosol emissions induced by prescribed changes in sea ice extent. The model was forced using sea ice concentrations consistent with present day conditions and projections of sea ice extent for 2100. Sea salt aerosol emissions increase in response to a decrease in sea ice, the model results showing an annual average increase in number emission over the polar cap (70–90° N of 86 × 10⁶ m⁻² s⁻¹ (mass emission increase of 23 μg m⁻² s⁻¹. This in turn leads to an increase in the natural aerosol optical depth of approximately 23%. In response to changes in aerosol optical depth, the natural component of the aerosol direct forcing over the Arctic polar cap is estimated to be between −0.2 and −0.4 W m⁻² for the summer months, which results in a negative feedback on the system. The model predicts that the change in first indirect aerosol effect (cloud albedo effect is approximately a factor of ten greater than the change in direct aerosol forcing although this result is highly uncertain due to the crude representation of Arctic clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions in the model. This study shows that both the natural aerosol direct and first indirect effects are strongly dependent on the surface albedo, highlighting the strong coupling between sea ice, aerosols, Arctic clouds and their radiative effects.

Calculation of concentration fields of high-inertia aerosol particles in the flow past a cylindrical fibre

Science.gov (United States)

Zaripov, T. S.; Gilfanov, A. K.; Zaripov, S. K.; Rybdylova, O. D.; Sazhin, S. S.

2018-01-01

The behaviour of high-inertia aerosol particles’ concentration fields in stationary gas suspension flows around a cylinder is investigated using a numerical solution to the Navier-Stokes equations and the fully Lagrangian approach for four Stokes numbers (Stk = 0.1, 1, 4, 10) and three Reynolds numbers (Re = 1, 10, 100). It has been shown that the points of maximum particle concentration along each trajectory shift downstream both when Stk and/or Re increase.

Atmospheric oxidation of 1,3-butadiene: characterization of gas and aerosol reaction products and implication for PM2.5

Science.gov (United States)

Jaoui, M.; Lewandowski, M.; Docherty, K.; Offenberg, J. H.; Kleindienst, T. E.

2014-06-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was generated by irradiating 1,3-butadiene (13BD) in the presence of H2O2 or NOx. Experiments were conducted in a smog chamber operated in either flow or batch mode. A filter/denuder sampling system was used for simultaneously collecting gas- and particle-phase products. The chemical composition of the gas phase and SOA was analyzed using derivative-based methods (BSTFA, BSTFA + PFBHA, or DNPH) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the derivative compounds. The analysis showed the occurrence of more than 60 oxygenated organic compounds in the gas and particle phases, of which 31 organic monomers were tentatively identified. The major identified products include glyceric acid, d-threitol, erythritol, d-threonic acid, meso-threonic acid, erythrose, malic acid, tartaric acid, and carbonyls including glycolaldehyde, glyoxal, acrolein, malonaldehyde, glyceraldehyde, and peroxyacryloyl nitrate (APAN). Some of these were detected in ambient PM2.5 samples and could potentially serve as organic markers of 1,3-butadiene (13BD). Furthermore, a series of oligoesters were detected and found to be produced from esterification reactions among compounds bearing alcoholic groups and compounds bearing acidic groups. Time profiles are provided for selected compounds. SOA was analyzed for organic mass to organic carbon (OM / OC) ratio, effective enthalpy of vaporization (ΔHvapeff), and aerosol yield. The average OM / OC ratio and SOA density were 2.7 ± 0.09 and 1.2 ± 0.05, respectively. The average ΔHvapeff was 26.1 ± 1.5 kJ mol-1, a value lower than that of isoprene SOA. The average laboratory SOA yield measured in this study at aerosol mass concentrations between 22.5 and 140.2 μg m-3 was 0.025 ± 0.011, a value consistent with the literature (0.021-0.178). While the focus of this study has been examination of the particle-phase measurements, the gas

Filter-based Aerosol Measurement Experiments using Spherical Aerosol Particles under High Temperature and High Pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Chan; Jung, Woo Young; Lee, Hyun Chul; Lee, Doo Young [FNC TECH., Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Optical Particle Counter (OPC) is used to provide real-time measurement of aerosol concentration and size distribution. Glass fiber membrane filter also be used to measure average mass concentration. Three tests (MTA-1, 2 and 3) have been conducted to study thermal-hydraulic effect, a filtering tendency at given SiO{sub 2} particles. Based on the experimental results, the experiment will be carried out further with a main carrier gas of steam and different aerosol size. The test results will provide representative behavior of the aerosols under various conditions. The aim of the tests, MTA 1, 2 and 3, are to be able to 1) establish the test manuals for aerosol generation, mixing, sampling and measurement system, which defines aerosol preparation, calibration, operating and evaluation method under high pressure and high temperature 2) develop commercial aerosol test modules applicable to the thermal power plant, environmental industry, automobile exhaust gas, chemical plant, HVAC system including nuclear power plant. Based on the test results, sampled aerosol particles in the filter indicate that important parameters affecting aerosol behavior aerosols are 1) system temperature to keep above a evaporation temperature of ethanol and 2) aerosol losses due to the settling by ethanol liquid droplet.

Aerosol characterizaton in El Paso-Juarez airshed using optical methods

Science.gov (United States)

Esparza, Angel Eduardo

2011-12-01

retrieve the size distribution of them. This method permits the assessment of aerosols in the ambient in-situ, without physically extracting them from their current state, as the filter technique does. The second objective was an analysis and comparison of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) data between ground-based instruments and satellite data. In this project, the groundbased instruments are the Multi Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometers (MFRSR) installed at UTEP and the nearest sun photometer facility, a NASA's Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), located at White Sands, New Mexico. The satellite data is provided by the NASA's Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MISR) instrument located in the Terra satellite. Finally, the third objective was to estimate ground particulate matter concentration of particles no greater than 2.5 mum in diameter (PM2.5) by using the MISR's satellite data. This objective was achieved by implementing an empirical mathematical model that includes measured data. In addition, this model addressed the geographic characteristics of the region as well as several factors such as season, relative humidity (RH) and the height of the planetary boundary layer (PBL).

Evaluation of hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis methods for discrimination of primary biological aerosol

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I. Crawford

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present improved methods for discriminating and quantifying primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs by applying hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis to multi-parameter ultraviolet-light-induced fluorescence (UV-LIF spectrometer data. The methods employed in this study can be applied to data sets in excess of 1 × 106 points on a desktop computer, allowing for each fluorescent particle in a data set to be explicitly clustered. This reduces the potential for misattribution found in subsampling and comparative attribution methods used in previous approaches, improving our capacity to discriminate and quantify PBAP meta-classes. We evaluate the performance of several hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis linkages and data normalisation methods using laboratory samples of known particle types and an ambient data set. Fluorescent and non-fluorescent polystyrene latex spheres were sampled with a Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Spectrometer (WIBS-4 where the optical size, asymmetry factor and fluorescent measurements were used as inputs to the analysis package. It was found that the Ward linkage with z-score or range normalisation performed best, correctly attributing 98 and 98.1 % of the data points respectively. The best-performing methods were applied to the BEACHON-RoMBAS (Bio–hydro–atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics and Nitrogen–Rocky Mountain Biogenic Aerosol Study ambient data set, where it was found that the z-score and range normalisation methods yield similar results, with each method producing clusters representative of fungal spores and bacterial aerosol, consistent with previous results. The z-score result was compared to clusters generated with previous approaches (WIBS AnalysiS Program, WASP where we observe that the subsampling and comparative attribution method employed by WASP results in the overestimation of the fungal spore concentration by a factor of 1.5 and the

Modeling the dependency of radon concentration levels inside ancient Egyptian tombs on the ambient temperature variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metwally, S.M.; Abo-Elmagdb, M.; Salamaa, E.

2007-01-01

Radon concentration inside partially closed places like dwellings, caves and tombs, depends on many parameters. Some parameters are known quantitatively as radon exhalation rate for walls, decay constant, surface to volume ratio and outdoor concentration while other parameters as ventilation rate is in common known qualitatively due to useless of traditional methods (tracer gases) in many places as ancient Egyptian tombs. This work introduces a derived mathematical model to evaluate the sensitivity of radon concentration levels inside single sided opening places as ancient Egyptian tombs on the ambient temperature differences. The obtained formula for the natural ventilation rate depends on the indoor and outdoor temperature difference and the geometrical dimensions of the doorway. The effects of in and out flow mixing, air viscosity, streamline contraction, swirling flow and turbulence, were taken into consideration in terms of an empirical correction factor. According UNSCEAR reports, the exhalation rate Φ=C ra λ rn fρ s (1-ε)L; C ra the effective radium content, λ rn decay constant, f emanation fraction, ρ s soil grain density, ε porosity and L diffusion length, these are approximately static parameters but the variability of ambient temperature introduces a source of energy of fluctuating strength to radon atoms in rocks which controls the flow rate and the ambient content of radon. Therefore, the change of outdoor and indoor temperature difference causes fluctuation of value and direction of volume flow rate in such places consequently causes the daily variation and on average the seasonal variation of radon concentration. Therefore according to the present model, the daily accurate expectation of radon concentrations inside ancient Egyptian tombs, require precise measurements of indoor and outdoor temperatures

A technique for rapid source apportionment applied to ambient organic aerosol measurements from a thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatograph (TAG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Zhang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available We present a rapid method for apportioning the sources of atmospheric organic aerosol composition measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry methods. Here, we specifically apply this new analysis method to data acquired on a thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatograph (TAG system. Gas chromatograms are divided by retention time into evenly spaced bins, within which the mass spectra are summed. A previous chromatogram binning method was introduced for the purpose of chromatogram structure deconvolution (e.g., major compound classes (Zhang et al., 2014. Here we extend the method development for the specific purpose of determining aerosol samples' sources. Chromatogram bins are arranged into an input data matrix for positive matrix factorization (PMF, where the sample number is the row dimension and the mass-spectra-resolved eluting time intervals (bins are the column dimension. Then two-dimensional PMF can effectively do three-dimensional factorization on the three-dimensional TAG mass spectra data. The retention time shift of the chromatogram is corrected by applying the median values of the different peaks' shifts. Bin width affects chemical resolution but does not affect PMF retrieval of the sources' time variations for low-factor solutions. A bin width smaller than the maximum retention shift among all samples requires retention time shift correction. A six-factor PMF comparison among aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS, TAG binning, and conventional TAG compound integration methods shows that the TAG binning method performs similarly to the integration method. However, the new binning method incorporates the entirety of the data set and requires significantly less pre-processing of the data than conventional single compound identification and integration. In addition, while a fraction of the most oxygenated aerosol does not elute through an underivatized TAG analysis, the TAG binning method does have the ability to achieve molecular level

Assessment of anthropogen aerosols : influence on environment and human health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwasny, F.

2010-01-01

The term aerosol describes a dispersion of liquid or solid particles in a gaseous medium, usually including particles at a size ranging from 0.001 to 100 μm. The size of an aerosol's particle is of special interest, as it influences its fate. Together with other physical properties like shape, density and mass of the particles, it defines the aerosol's possibilities of sedimentation, diffusion, dispersion, coagulation or impaction onto surfaces. As aerosols are by definition composed of a number of particles, this regime of constituent parts varies. Aerosols are well known with their common names such as dust, smoke, fume, fog, mist, spray or haze. The projects of this thesis deal with different aspects of anthropogenic aerosols. We investigated their influence on human health and environmental impact by looking at particle concentrations and size distributions of aerosols. Ultimately, we examined their fate in a human lung model to reveal a direct influence on humans. Our studies included brine inhalation at an open-air spa, exposure to ultrafine particles while driving a car through a heavy impacted environment, and the influence of aerosols on spectators while watching fireworks. In a project with the local environmental authorities we investigated the correlation of air quality, meteorological and traffic data with ultrafine particles. Resulting from our studies, we found beneficial effects of salt aerosols used for inhalation therapy, showing the positive influence in lung deposition, as well as, an effect on ultrafine particle inventory of the ambient air. Combustion aerosols and other man-made particulate matter proved to have adverse effects on human lung deposition, allowing ultrafine particles to reach deep into the human lung. This not only poses a threat to respiratory organs; particles can be translocated from the respiratory tract into the blood stream and from there to other organs, affecting the entire body. For the purpose of finding reasonable

CCN concentrations and BC warming influenced by maritime ship emitted aerosol plumes over southern Bay of Bengal.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramana, M V; Devi, Archana

2016-08-02

Significant quantities of carbon soot aerosols are emitted into pristine parts of the atmosphere by marine shipping. Soot impacts the radiative balance of the Earth-atmosphere system by absorbing solar-terrestrial radiation and modifies the microphysical properties of clouds. Here we examined the impact of black carbon (BC) on net warming during monsoon season over southern Bay-of-Bengal, using surface and satellite measurements of aerosol plumes from shipping. Shipping plumes had enhanced the BC concentrations by a factor of four around the shipping lane and exerted a strong positive influence on net warming. Compiling all the data, we show that BC atmospheric heating rates for relatively-clean and polluted-shipping corridor locations to be 0.06 and 0.16 K/day respectively within the surface layer. Emissions from maritime ships had directly heated the lower troposphere by two-and-half times and created a gradient of around 0.1 K/day on either side of the shipping corridor. Furthermore, we show that ship emitted aerosol plumes were responsible for increase in the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) by an order of magnitude that of clean air. The effects seen here may have significant impact on the monsoonal activity over Bay-of-Bengal and implications for climate change mitigation strategies.

Evolution of aerosol loading in Santiago de Chile between 1997 and 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Pistone, Kristina; Gallardo, Laura

2015-04-01

While aerosols produced by major cities are a significant component of anthropogenic climate forcing as well as an important factor in public health, many South American cities have not been a major focus of aerosol studies due in part to relatively few long-term observations in the region. Here we present a synthesis of the available data for the emerging megacity of Santiago, Chile. We report new results from a recent NASA AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) site in the Santiago basin, combining these with previous AERONET observations in Santiago as well as with a new assessment of the 11-station air quality monitoring network currently administered by the Chilean Environment Ministry (MMA, Ministerio del Medio Ambiente) to assess changes in aerosol composition since 1997. While the average surface concentration of pollution components (specifically PM2.5 and PM10) has decreased, no significant change in total aerosol optical depth was observed. However, changes in aerosol size and composition are suggested by the proxy measurements. Previous studies have revealed limitations in purely satellite-based studies over Santiago due to biases from high surface reflection in the region, particularly in summer months (e.g. Escribano et al 2014). To overcome this difficulty and certain limitations in the air quality data, we next incorporate analysis of aerosol products from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument along with those from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, both on NASA's Terra satellite, to better quantify the high bias of MODIS. Thus incorporating these complementary datasets, we characterize the aerosol over Santiago over the period 1997 to 2014, including the evolution of aerosol properties over time and seasonal dependencies in the observed trends. References: Escribano et al (2014), "Satellite Retrievals of Aerosol Optical Depth over a Subtropical Urban Area: The Role of Stratification and Surface

Amazon boundary layer aerosol concentration sustained by vertical transport during rainfall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jian; Krejci, Radovan; Giangrande, Scott; Kuang, Chongai; Barbosa, Henrique M. J.; Brito, Joel; Carbone, Samara; Chi, Xuguang; Comstock, Jennifer; Ditas, Florian; Lavric, Jost; Manninen, Hanna E.; Mei, Fan; Moran-Zuloaga, Daniel; Pöhlker, Christopher; Pöhlker, Mira L.; Saturno, Jorge; Schmid, Beat; Souza, Rodrigo A. F.; Springston, Stephen R.; Tomlinson, Jason M.; Toto, Tami; Walter, David; Wimmer, Daniela; Smith, James N.; Kulmala, Markku; Machado, Luiz A. T.; Artaxo, Paulo; Andreae, Meinrat O.; Petäjä, Tuukka; Martin, Scot T.

2016-10-24

A necessary prerequisite of cloud formation, aerosol particles represent one of the largest uncertainties in computer simulations of climate change1,2, in part because of a poor understanding of processes under natural conditions3,4. The Amazon rainforest is one of the few continental regions where aerosol particles and their precursors can be studied under near-natural conditions5-7. Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in clean Amazonia are mostly produced by the growth of smaller particles in the boundary layer8-10, whereas these smaller particles themselves 31 appear to be produced elsewhere5,11. Key questions are in what part of the atmosphere they might 32 be produced and what could be the transport processes that deliver them to the boundary layer, where they grow into CCN. Here, using recent aircraft measurements above central Amazonia, we show high concentrations of small particles in the lower free troposphere. The particle size spectrum shifts towards larger sizes with decreasing altitude, implying particle growth as air descends from the free troposphere towards Earth's surface. Complementary measurements at ground sites show that free tropospheric air having high concentrations of small particles (diameters of less than 50 nm) is transported into the boundary layer during precipitation events, both by strong convective downdrafts and by weaker downward motions in the trailing stratiform region. This vertical transport helps maintain the population of small particles and ultimately CCN in the boundary layer, thereby playing an important role in controlling the climate state under natural conditions. In contrast, this mechanism becomes masked under polluted conditions, which sometimes prevail at times in Amazonia as well as over other tropical continental regions5,12.

Monitoring diesel particulate matter and calculating diesel particulate densities using Grimm model 1.109 real-time aerosol monitors in underground mines.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimbal, Kyle C; Pahler, Leon; Larson, Rodney; VanDerslice, Jim

2012-01-01

Currently, there is no Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)-approved sampling method that provides real-time results for ambient concentrations of diesel particulates. This study investigated whether a commercially available aerosol spectrometer, the Grimm Portable Aerosol Spectrometer Model 1.109, could be used during underground mine operations to provide accurate real-time diesel particulate data relative to MSHA-approved cassette-based sampling methods. A subset was to estimate size-specific diesel particle densities to potentially improve the diesel particulate concentration estimates using the aerosol monitor. Concurrent sampling was conducted during underground metal mine operations using six duplicate diesel particulate cassettes, according to the MSHA-approved method, and two identical Grimm Model 1.109 instruments. Linear regression was used to develop adjustment factors relating the Grimm results to the average of the cassette results. Statistical models using the Grimm data produced predicted diesel particulate concentrations that highly correlated with the time-weighted average cassette results (R(2) = 0.86, 0.88). Size-specific diesel particulate densities were not constant over the range of particle diameters observed. The variance of the calculated diesel particulate densities by particle diameter size supports the current understanding that diesel emissions are a mixture of particulate aerosols and a complex host of gases and vapors not limited to elemental and organic carbon. Finally, diesel particulate concentrations measured by the Grimm Model 1.109 can be adjusted to provide sufficiently accurate real-time air monitoring data for an underground mining environment.

Diurnal and seasonal variations of concentration and size distribution of nano aerosols (10-1100 nm) enclosing radon decay products in the Postojna Cave, Slovenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bezek, M; Gregoric, A; Kávási, N; Vaupotic, J

2012-11-01

At the lowest point along the tourist route in the Postojna Cave, the activity concentration of radon ((222)Rn) short-lived decay products and number concentration and size distribution of background aerosol particles in the size range of 10-1100 nm were measured. In the warm yearly season, aerosol concentration was low (52 cm(-3)) with 21 % particles smaller than 50 nm, while in the cold season, it was higher (1238 cm(-3)) with 8 % of <50 nm particles. Radon activity concentrations were 4489 and 1108 Bq m(-3), and fractions of unattached radon decay products were 0.62 and 0.13, respectively.

Estimating PM2.5 speciation concentrations using prototype 4.4 km-resolution MISR aerosol properties over Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Xia; Garay, Michael J.; Diner, David J.; Kalashnikova, Olga V.; Xu, Jin; Liu, Yang

2018-05-01

Research efforts to better characterize the differential toxicity of PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to 2.5 μm) speciation are often hindered by the sparse or non-existent coverage of ground monitors. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aboard NASA's Terra satellite is one of few satellite aerosol sensors providing information of aerosol shape, size and extinction globally for a long and continuous period that can be used to estimate PM2.5 speciation concentrations since year 2000. Currently, MISR only provides a 17.6 km product for its entire mission with global coverage every 9 days, a bit too coarse for air pollution health effects research and to capture local spatial variability of PM2.5 speciation. In this study, generalized additive models (GAMs) were developed using MISR prototype 4.4 km-resolution aerosol data with meteorological variables and geographical indicators, to predict ground-level concentrations of PM2.5 sulfate, nitrate, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in Southern California between 2001 and 2015 at the daily level. The GAMs are able to explain 66%, 62%, 55% and 58% of the daily variability in PM2.5 sulfate, nitrate, OC and EC concentrations during the whole study period, respectively. Predicted concentrations capture large regional patterns as well as fine gradients of the four PM2.5 species in urban areas of Los Angeles and other counties, as well as in the Central Valley. This study is the first attempt to use MISR prototype 4.4 km-resolution AOD (aerosol optical depth) components data to predict PM2.5 sulfate, nitrate, OC and EC concentrations at the sub-regional scale. In spite of its low temporal sampling frequency, our analysis suggests that the MISR 4.4 km fractional AODs provide a promising way to capture the spatial hotspots and long-term temporal trends of PM2.5 speciation, understand the effectiveness of air quality controls, and allow our estimated PM2.5 speciation data to

Inorganic aerosols responses to emission changes in Yangtze River Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Xinyi; Li, Juan; Fu, Joshua S; Gao, Yang; Huang, Kan; Zhuang, Guoshun

2014-05-15

The new Chinese National Ambient Air Quality standards (CH-NAAQS) published on Feb. 29th, 2012 listed PM2.5 as criteria pollutant for the very first time. In order to probe into PM2.5 pollution over Yangtze River Delta, the integrated MM5/CMAQ modeling system is applied for a full year simulation to examine the PM2.5 concentration and seasonality, and also the inorganic aerosols responses to precursor emission changes. Total PM2.5 concentration over YRD was found to have strong seasonal variation with higher values in winter months (up to 89.9 μg/m(3) in January) and lower values in summer months (down to 28.8 μg/m(3) in July). Inorganic aerosols were found to have substantial contribution to PM2.5 over YRD, ranging from 37.1% in November to 52.8% in May. Nocturnal production of nitrate (NO3(-)) through heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 was found significantly contribute to high NO3(-) concentration throughout the year. In winter, NO3(-) was found to increase under nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission reduction due to higher production of N2O5 from the excessive ozone (O3) introduced by attenuated titration, which further lead to increase of ammonium (NH4(+)) and sulfate (SO4(2-)), while other seasons showed decrease response of NO3(-). Sensitivity responses of NO3(-) under anthropogenic VOC emission reduction was examined and demonstrated that in urban areas over YRD, NO3(-) formation was actually more sensitive to VOC than NOx due to the O3-involved nighttime chemistry of N2O5, while a reduction of NOx emission may have counter-intuitive effect by increasing concentrations of inorganic aerosols. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of biomass open burning on particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentration levels and PAH dry deposition in ambient air.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Jui C; Shen, Yun H; Li, Hsing W; Chang, Shun S; Wang, Lin C; Chang-Chien, Guo P

2011-01-01

The objectives of the present study were to investigate particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in ambient air during rice straw open burning and non-open burning periods. In the ambient air of a rice field, the mean PM concentration during and after an open burning event were 1828 and 102 μg m⁻³, respectively, which demonstrates that during a rice field open burning event, the PM concentration in the ambient air of rice field is over 17 times higher than that of the non-open burning period. During an open burning event, the mean total PAH and total toxic equivalence (BaP(eq)) concentrations in the ambient air of a rice field were 7206 ng m⁻³ and 10.3 ng m⁻³, respectively, whereas after the open burning event, they were 376 ng m⁻³ and 1.50 ng m⁻³, respectively. Open burning thus increases total PAH and total BaP(eq) concentrations by 19-fold and 6.8-fold, respectively. During a rice straw open burning event, in the ambient air of a rice field, the mean dry deposition fluxes of total PAHs and total BaP(eq) were 1222 μg m⁻² day⁻¹ and 4.80 μg m⁻² day⁻¹, respectively, which are approximately 60- and 3-fold higher than those during the non-open burning period, respectively. During the non-open burning period, particle-bound PAHs contributed 79.2-84.2% of total dry deposition fluxes (gas + particle) of total PAHs. However, an open burning event increases the contribution to total PAH dry deposition by particle-bound PAHs by up to 85.9-95.5%. The results show that due to the increased amount of PM in the ambient air resulting from rice straw open burning, particle-bound PAHs contributed more to dry deposition fluxes of total PAHs than they do during non-open burning periods. The results show that biomass (rice straw) open burning is an important PAH emission source that significantly increases both PM and PAH concentration levels and PAH dry deposition in ambient air.

Evaluation of traffic exhaust contributions to ambient carbonaceous submicron particulate matter in an urban roadside environment in Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Berto Paul; Kwok Keung Louie, Peter; Luk, Connie; Keung Chan, Chak

2017-12-01

Road traffic has significant impacts on air quality particularly in densely urbanized and populated areas where vehicle emissions are a major local source of ambient particulate matter. Engine type (i.e., fuel use) significantly impacts the chemical characteristics of tailpipe emission, and thus the distribution of engine types in traffic impacts measured ambient concentrations. This study provides an estimation of the contribution of vehicles powered by different fuels (gasoline, diesel, LPG) to carbonaceous submicron aerosol mass (PM1) based on ambient aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and elemental carbon (EC) measurements and vehicle count data in an urban inner city environment in Hong Kong with the aim to gauge the importance of different engine types to particulate matter burdens in a typical urban street canyon. On an average per-vehicle basis, gasoline vehicles emitted 75 and 93 % more organics than diesel and LPG vehicles, respectively, while EC emissions from diesel vehicles were 45 % higher than those from gasoline vehicles. LPG vehicles showed no appreciable contributions to EC and thus overall represented a small contributor to traffic-related primary ambient PM1 despite their high abundance (˜ 30 %) in the traffic mix. Total carbonaceous particle mass contributions to ambient PM1 from diesel engines were only marginally higher (˜ 4 %) than those from gasoline engines, which is likely an effect of recently introduced control strategies targeted at commercial vehicles and buses. Overall, gasoline vehicles contributed 1.2 µg m-3 of EC and 1.1 µ m-3 of organics, LPG vehicles 0.6 µg m-3 of organics and diesel vehicles 2.0 µg m-3 of EC and 0.7 µg m-3 of organics to ambient carbonaceous PM1.

Observations of the vertical concentrations of aerosol particles in the boundary layer by means of tethered balloon method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishioka, Futoshi; Lee, D.I; Taniguchi, Takashi; Kikuchi,Katsuhiro

1988-09-30

In general, it is difficult to accurately understand the behavior of aerosol particles in the boundary layer above urban areas because aerosol sources are influenced by time-dependent factors and local climate. To overcome this difficulty, a particle counter which can count Mie particles with diameters of 0.3 /mu/m or more in five diameter ranges was installed on a large tehered balloon. With this method, the vertical distribution of aerosol concentration was measured in several areas different in meteorological condition, and the dependence of the particle behavior on particle diameter was studied. As a result, it has been revealed that the results of the observations explained above agree with the results of studies conducted in the past, but that dependence on particle diameter is not significant. 37 references, 21 figures, 1 table.

Low ambient temperature elevates plasma triiodothyronine concentrations while reducing digesta mean retention time and methane yield in sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, M C; McFarlane, J R; Hegarty, R S

2015-06-01

Ruminant methane yield (MY) is positively correlated with mean retention time (MRT) of digesta. The hormone triiodothyronine (T3 ), which is negatively correlated with ambient temperature, is known to influence MRT. It was hypothesised that exposing sheep to low ambient temperatures would increase plasma T3 concentration and decrease MRT of digesta within the rumen of sheep, resulting in a reduction of MY. To test this hypothesis, six Merino sheep were exposed to two different ambient temperatures (cold treatment, 9 ± 1 °C; warm control 26 ± 1 °C). The effects on MY, digesta MRT, plasma T3 concentration, CO2 production, DM intake, DM digestibility, change in body weight (BW), rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, estimated microbial protein output, protozoa abundance, wool growth, water intake, urine output and rectal temperature were studied. Cold treatment resulted in a reduction in MY (p < 0.01); digesta MRT in rumen (p < 0.01), hindgut (p = 0.01) and total digestive tract (p < 0.01); protozoa abundance (p < 0.05); and water intake (p < 0.001). Exposure to cold temperature increased plasma T3 concentration (p < 0.05), CO2 production (p = 0.01), total VFA concentrations (p = 0.03) and estimated microbial output from the rumen (p = 0.03). The rate of wool growth increased (p < 0.01) due to cold treatment, but DM intake, DM digestibility and BW change were not affected. The results suggest that exposure of sheep to cold ambient temperatures reduces digesta retention time in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to a reduction in enteric methane yield. Further research is warranted to determine whether T3 could be used as an indirect selection tool for genetic selection of low enteric methane-producing ruminants. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A reference aerosol for a radon reference chamber

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Annette; Keyser, Uwe

1996-02-01

The measurement of radon and radon progenies and the calibration of their detection systems require the production and measurement of aerosols well-defined in size and concentration. In the German radon reference chamber, because of its unique chemical and physical properties, carnauba wax is used to produce standard aerosols. The aerosol size spectra are measured on-line by an aerosol measurement system in the range of 10 nm to 1 μm aerodynamic diameter. The experimental set-ups for the study of adsorption of radioactive ions on aerosols as function of their size and concentration will be described, the results presented and further adaptations for an aerosol jet introduced (for example, for the measurement of short-lived neutron-rich isotopes). Data on the dependence of aerosol radius, ion concentration and element selectivity is collected by using a 252Cf-sf source. The fission products of this source range widely in elements, isotopes and charges. Adsorption and the transport of radioactive ions on aerosols have therefore been studied for various ions for the first time, simultaneously with the aerosol size on-line spectrometry.

A reference aerosol for a radon reference chamber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul, A. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig (Germany); Keyser, U. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig (Germany)

1996-01-11

The measurement of radon and radon progenies and the calibration of their detection systems require the production and measurement of aerosols well-defined in size and concentration. In the German radon reference chamber, because of its unique chemical and physical properties, carnauba wax is used to produce standard aerosols. The aerosol size spectra are measured on-line by an aerosol measurement system in the range of 10 nm to 1 {mu}m aerodynamic diameter. The experimental set-ups for the study of adsorption of radioactive ions on aerosols as function of their size and concentration are described, the results presented and further adaptations for an aerosol jet introduced (for example, for the measurement of short-lived neutron-rich isotopes). Data on the dependence of aerosol radius, ion concentration and element selectivity is collected by using a {sup 252}Cf-sf source. The fission products of this source range widely in elements, isotopes and charges. Adsorption and the transport of radioactive ions on aerosols have therefore been studied for various ions for the first time, simultaneously with the aerosol size on-line spectrometry. (orig.).

Sensitivity of modelled sulfate aerosol and its radiative effect on climate to ocean DMS concentration and air–sea flux

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-E. Tesdal

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Dimethylsulfide (DMS is a well-known marine trace gas that is emitted from the ocean and subsequently oxidizes to sulfate in the atmosphere. Sulfate aerosols in the atmosphere have direct and indirect effects on the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Thus, as a potential source of sulfate, ocean efflux of DMS needs to be accounted for in climate studies. Seawater concentration of DMS is highly variable in space and time, which in turn leads to high spatial and temporal variability in ocean DMS emissions. Because of sparse sampling (in both space and time, large uncertainties remain regarding ocean DMS concentration. In this study, we use an atmospheric general circulation model with explicit aerosol chemistry (CanAM4.1 and several climatologies of surface ocean DMS concentration to assess uncertainties about the climate impact of ocean DMS efflux. Despite substantial variation in the spatial pattern and seasonal evolution of simulated DMS fluxes, the global-mean radiative effect of sulfate is approximately linearly proportional to the global-mean surface flux of DMS; the spatial and temporal distribution of ocean DMS efflux has only a minor effect on the global radiation budget. The effect of the spatial structure, however, generates statistically significant changes in the global-mean concentrations of some aerosol species. The effect of seasonality on the net radiative effect is larger than that of spatial distribution and is significant at global scale.

Aged organic aerosol in the Eastern Mediterranean: the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment – 2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Hildebrandt

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Aged organic aerosol (OA was measured at a remote coastal site on the island of Crete, Greece during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment-2008 (FAME-2008, which was part of the EUCAARI intensive campaign of May 2008. The site at Finokalia is influenced by air masses from different source regions, including long-range transport of pollution from continental Europe. A quadrupole aerosol mass spectrometer (Q-AMS was employed to measure the size-resolved chemical composition of non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM₁, and to estimate the extent of oxidation of the organic aerosol. Factor analysis was used to gain insights into the processes and sources affecting the OA composition. The particles were internally mixed and liquid. The largest fraction of the dry NR-PM₁ sampled was ammonium sulfate and ammonium bisulfate, followed by organics and a small amount of nitrate. The variability in OA composition could be explained with two factors of oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA with differing extents of oxidation but similar volatility. Hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA was not detected. There was no statistically significant diurnal variation in the bulk composition of NR-PM₁ such as total sulfate or total organic aerosol concentrations. However, the OA composition exhibited statistically significant diurnal variation with more oxidized OA in the afternoon. The organic aerosol was highly oxidized, regardless of the source region. Total OA concentrations also varied little with source region, suggesting that local sources had only a small effect on OA concentrations measured at Finokalia. The aerosol was transported for about one day before arriving at the site, corresponding to an OH exposure of approximately 4×10¹¹ molecules cm⁻³ s. The constant extent of oxidation suggests that atmospheric aging results in a highly oxidized OA at these OH exposures, regardless of the aerosol source.

United role of radon decay products and nano-aerosols in radon dosimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Smerajec, M.; Vaupotič, J.

2012-04-01

The major part of human exposure to natural radiation originates from inhalation of radon (Rn) and radon short-lived decay products (RnDP: 218Po, 214Pb, 214Bi and 214Po). RnDP are formed as a result of α-transformation of radon. In the beginning they are positive ions which neutralize and form clusters with air molecules, and later partly attach to background aerosol particles in indoor air. Eventually, they appear as radioactive nano-aerosols with a bimodal size distribution in ranges of 1-10 nm (unattached RnDP) and of 200-800 nm (attached RnDP). When inhaled, they are deposited in the respiratory tract. Deposition is more efficient for smaller particles. Therefore, the fraction (fun) of the unattached RnDP, which appears to be influenced by the number concentration and size distribution of general (background) aerosols in the ambient air, has a crucial role in radon dosimetry. Radon, radon decay products and general aerosols have been monitored simultaneously in the kitchen of a typical rural house under real living conditions, also comprising four human activities generating particular matter: cooking and baking, as two typical activities in kitchen, and cigarette smoking and candle burning. In periods without any human activity, the total number concentration of general aerosol ranged from 1000 to 3000 cm-3,with the geometric mean of particle diameter in the range of 60-68 nm and with 0.1-1 % of particles smaller than 10 nm. Preparation of coffee changed the concentration to 193,000 cm-3, the geometric mean of diameter to 20 nm and fraction of particles smaller than 10 nm to 11 %. The respective changes were for baking cake: 503,000 cm-3, 17 nm and 19 %, for smoking:423,000 cm-3, 83 nm and 0.4 %, and forcandle burning: 945,000 cm-3, 8 nm and 85 %. While, as expected, a reduction of fun was observed during cooking, baking and smoking, when larger particles were emitted, fun did not increase during candle burning with mostly particles smaller than 10 nm

Warming-induced increase in aerosol number concentration likely to moderate climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paasonen, P.; Asmi, A.; Petäjä, T.; Kajos, M.K.; Äijälä, M.; Junninen, H.; Holst, T.; Abbatt, J.P.D.; Arneth, A.; Birmili, W.; Denier van der Gon, H.A.C.; Hamed, A.; Hoffer, A.; Laakso, L.; Laaksonen, A.; Richard Leaitch, W.; Plass-Dülmer, C.; Pryor, S.C.; Räisänen, P.; Swietlicki, E.; Wiedensohler, A.; Worsnop, D.R.; Kerminen, V.-M.; Kulmala, M.

2013-01-01

Atmospheric aerosol particles influence the climate system directly by scattering and absorbing solar radiation, and indirectly by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. Apart from black carbon aerosol, aerosols cause a negative radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere and substantially mitigate

Diurnal and seasonal variations of concentration and size distribution of nano aerosols (10-1100 nm) enclosing radon decay products in the Postojna Cave, Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezek, M.; Gregoric, A.; Kavasi, N.; Vaupotic, J.

2012-01-01

At the lowest point along the tourist route in the Postojna Cave, the activity concentration of radon ( 222 Rn) short-lived decay products and number concentration and size distribution of background aerosol particles in the size range of 10-1100 nm were measured. In the warm yearly season, aerosol concentration was low (52 cm -3 ) with 21 % particles smaller than 50 nm, while in the cold season, it was higher (1238 cm -3 ) with 8 % of -3 , and fractions of unattached radon decay products were 0.62 and 0.13, respectively. (authors)

Professional ski waxers' exposure to PFAS and aerosol concentrations in gas phase and different particle size fractions.

Science.gov (United States)