Articles | Volume 10, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1043-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1043-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Mar 2017
Research article |
| 16 Mar 2017
The filter-loading effect by ambient aerosols in filter absorption photometers depends on the coating of the sampled particles
Research and Development Department, Aerosol d.o.o., Ljubljana, Slovenia
Condensed Matter Physics Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Asta Gregorič
Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
Peter Zotter
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
now at: Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, School of Engineering and Architecture, Bioenergy Research, Horw, Switzerland
Robert Wolf
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
Emily Anne Bruns
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
André S. H. Prévôt
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
Jean-Eudes Petit
Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (DRC/CARA/CIME), Verneuil-en-Halatte,France
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (CNRS-CEA-UVSQ), CEA Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
now at: Air Lorraine, Metz, France
Olivier Favez
Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (DRC/CARA/CIME), Verneuil-en-Halatte,France
Jean Sciare
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (CNRS-CEA-UVSQ), CEA Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Energy Environment and Water Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
Ian J. Arnold
Desert Research Institute, Nevada System of Higher Education, Reno, USA
now at: College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
Rajan K. Chakrabarty
Desert Research Institute, Nevada System of Higher Education, Reno, USA
now at: Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
Hans Moosmüller
Desert Research Institute, Nevada System of Higher Education, Reno, USA
Agnes Filep
MTA-SZTE Research Group on Photoacoustic Spectroscopy, Department of Optics and Quantum Electronics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
Research and Development Department, Aerosol d.o.o., Ljubljana, Slovenia
Condensed Matter Physics Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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We compared near real-time and benchtop XRF spectrometers measuring trace elements in airborne particles across three European cities. Results show filter material dictates accuracy: Teflon yielded strong inter-instrument agreement, while quartz caused systematic attenuation errors for light elements. Because empirical corrections left residual biases, using optimal substrates—preferably Teflon—is essential for accurately tracking pollution sources.
Maria Tsichla, Konrad Kandler, Sudharaj Aryasree, Stavros Solomos, Christos Spyrou, Alexandra Tsekeri, Anna Kampouri, Anna Gialitaki, Eleni Drakaki, Thanasis Natsis, Maria Kezoudi, Alkistis Papetta, Franco Marenco, Jean Sciare, Eleni Marinou, Kalliopi Artemis Voudouri, Nikos Mihalopoulos, and Vassilis Amiridis
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Siqing Xu, Yves Balkanski, Philippe Ciais, and Jean Sciare
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 6321–6350, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6321-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6321-2026, 2026
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Marta Via, Jure Demšar, Yufang Hao, Manousos Manousakas, Anton Rusanen, Jianhui Jiang, Stuart K. Grange, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Vy Ngoc Thuy Dinh, Gaëlle Uzu, Griša Močnik, and Kaspar R. Daellenbach
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 2175–2195, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-2175-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-2175-2026, 2026
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We introduce BAMF+HS (Bayesian Autocorrelated Matrix Factorisation+Horseshoe), an enhanced Bayesian receptor model for particulate matter (PM) source apportionment. By applying a regularised horseshoe prior to the chemical composition matrix, BAMF+HS enforces sparsity, filtering out irrelevant species and improving source separation. Tests on synthetic and real datasets show BAMF+HS consistently outperforms previous models in accuracy and clarity.
Karin Stegelius, Pauline Thompson, Pia Karbiener, Piotr Markuszewski, Andre S. H. Prevot, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Claudia Mohr, Liine Heikkinen, Krishnakant Budhavant, and Sophie L. Haslett
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-914, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-914, 2026
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High-time-resolution observations in the Maldives indicate that submicron aerosol over the northern Indian Ocean is primarily composed of inorganic sulfate and highly oxidised organic matter, indicative of aged continental outflow. The consistent composition across various air mass origins, alongside identification of sulfur-containing organics, underscores the influence of long-range transport and sulfate-driven secondary chemistry on regional aerosol characteristics and their climate impacts.
Anchal Garg, Maximilien Desservettaz, Aliki Christodoulou, Theodoros Christoudias, Vijay Punjaji Kanawade, Chrysanthos Savvides, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Shahid Naqui, Tuija Jokinen, Joseph Byron, Jonathan Williams, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Eleni Liakakou, Jean Sciare, and Efstratios Bourtsoukidis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 2597–2622, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2597-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2597-2026, 2026
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This study reports multi-year (2022–2024) measurements of 76 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at a rural site in Cyprus. Oxygenated VOCs were the most abundant and showed strong daytime increases due to sunlight-driven chemistry. Air-mass analysis showed that transport from Middle East strongly influenced aromatic VOC levels. Climate–chemistry modeling underestimated most VOCs, highlighting gaps in current emission and chemical processes.
Alkistis Papetta, Maria Kezoudi, Holger Baars, Athina Floutsi, Eleni Drakaki, Konrad Kandler, Sudharaj Aryasree, Elena Louca, Theodoros Christoudias, Eleni Marinou, Chris Stopford, Troy Thornberry, Vassilis Amiridis, Jean Sciare, and Franco Marenco
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 2055–2082, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2055-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2055-2026, 2026
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Dust in the atmosphere affects air quality, weather, and climate, but measuring it is challenging. We used drones and ground-based instruments to study how dust particles interact with light and relate this to their mass. Current methods often underestimate large dust particles, leading to errors in dust quantity. Our results show that regional differences in dust must be considered to improve climate models and satellite observations.
Elie Bimenyimana, Jean Sciare, Michael Pikridas, Konstantina Oikonomou, Minas Iakovides, Emily Vasiliadou, Chrysanthos Savvides, and Nikos Mihalopoulos
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 1605–1622, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1605-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1605-2026, 2026
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Long-term (2015–2023) source apportionment analysis reveals that reduction in PM10 concentration levels from traffic in Cypriot cities is completely offset by the concomitant increase of uncontrolled PM from local sources (road dust resuspension, and domestic wood burning), along with rising Middle East PM from fossil fuel emissions. This poses a major challenge for Cyprus to comply with the stricter PM10 limits set by the new EU air quality directive.
Constantina Rousogenous, Christof Petri, Pierre-Yves Quéhé, Thomas Laemmel, Joshua L. Laughner, Maximilien Desservettaz, Michael Pikridas, Michel Ramonet, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Matthias Buschmann, Justus Notholt, Thorsten Warneke, Jean-Daniel Paris, Jean Sciare, and Mihalis Vrekoussis
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 565–581, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-565-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-565-2026, 2026
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The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East is a greenhouse gas emission hotspot but lacks atmospheric monitoring. Our study introduces the first Total Carbon Column Observing Network site in this region, in Cyprus, providing high-precision columnar measurement of key greenhouse gases. This new dataset enhances global climate monitoring efforts, supports the validation of satellites, will help assess regional emission trends, filling a critical observational gap in this climate-sensitive region.
Vy Ngoc Thuy Dinh, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Pamela A. Dominutti, Rhabira Elazzouzi, Sophie Darfeuil, Céline Voiron, Anouk Marsal, Stéphane Socquet, Gladys Mary, Julie Cozic, Catherine Coulaud, Marc Durif, Olivier Favez, and Gaëlle Uzu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 247–268, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-247-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-247-2026, 2026
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Long-term particulate matter (PM) filter sampling at a French urban background and temperature measurements at different altitudes were used to investigate decadal trends of the main PM sources and related oxidative potential metrics. Positive Matrix Factorization analyses were conducted on the corresponding 11-year dataset, which determined ten PM sources. Temporal evolution of these sources is investigated, highlighting a strong downward trend of anthropogenic sources over 11 years.
Hasna Chebaicheb, Mélodie Chatain, Olivier Favez, Joel F. de Brito, Vincent Crenn, Tanguy Amodeo, Mohamed Gherras, Emmanuel Jantzem, Caroline Marchand, and Véronique Riffault
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 155–169, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-155-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-155-2026, 2026
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This study compares carbonaceous aerosols source apportionment at paired traffic and background locations in urban environment (Strasbourg, France). Positive matrix factorization was applied (individually and in a combined input dataset) to aerosol mass spectrometry measurements at both sites, providing notably insights into the challenges of attributing real sources to organic aerosol (OA) factors and the impact of instrumental result specificities leading to differences in OA mass spectra.
Siqing Xu, Sebastiaan Luyssaert, Yves Balkanski, Philippe Ciais, Nicolas Viovy, Liang Wan, and Jean Sciare
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 1–25, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-1-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-1-2026, 2026
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Prescribing a fixed grassland density in the ORCHIDEE model limits its ability to capture grassland dynamics, leading to unrealistic mortality, especially in semi-arid grasslands. We proposed a dynamic density approach where a positive density-precipitation relationship emerges. This method improves spatial pattern, significantly reduces mortality, sustains productivity, and raises the aridity threshold above which frequent mortality events occur in grasslands.
Roubina Papaconstantinou, Spyros Bezantakos, Michael Pikridas, Moreno Parolin, Melina Stylianou, Chrysanthos Savvides, Jean Sciare, and George Biskos
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 63–78, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-63-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-63-2026, 2026
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We evaluate the ability of the Vaisala AQT530 (Air Quality Transmitter) monitors, comprising of low-cost sensors, to detect spatial and temporal differences. Collocated with reference instruments over 19 months in Nicosia, results showed that CO and PM (particulate matter) sensors captured daily, hourly, and monthly spatial trends. NO2, NO, and O3 sensors were less reliable due to environmental effects. Still, all sensors tracked monthly temporal variations at the same location, with PM2.5 showing the strongest agreement with reference data.
Laurence C. Windell, Saliou Mbengue, Petra Pokorná, Jaroslav Schwarz, André S. H. Prévôt, Manousos I. Manousakas, Stefanos Papagiannis, Jakub Ondráček, Roman Prokeš, and Vladimir Ždímal
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 7021–7038, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-7021-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-7021-2025, 2025
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In this work, we compare the two most widely used online XRF monitors for ambient elemental analysis, the Xact625i and PX-375. We found strong correlations between the online instruments and the reference method (better so for the Xact625i), while in terms of absolute concentrations, some elements were over- and underestimated. Overall, we determined both instruments can be used as powerful tools to produce high-time resolution elemental data for use in air quality monitoring.
Vy Ngoc Thuy Dinh, Gaëlle Uzu, Pamela Dominutti, Stéphane Sauvage, Rhabira Elazzouzi, Sophie Darfeuil, Céline Voiron, Abdoulaye Samaké, Shouwen Zhang, Stéphane Socquet, Olivier Favez, and Jean-Luc Jaffrezo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 6817–6833, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6817-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6817-2025, 2025
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Positive matrix factorization (PMF) is widely used for apportion the source of particulate matter. However, the inherent model has some subjective aspects which should be reduce to ensure the robustness of the result. To do so, this study developed a systematic method, by performing tests on the input and the result validation. Finally, we proposed recommendations for input selection and result validation. A Python package is developed, providing advanced tools for input preparation, validation and visualization results.
Laura Bouillon, Valérie Gros, Morgan Lopez, Nicolas Bonnaire, Carole Philippon, Camille Yver Kwok, Leslie David, Olivier Perrussel, Olivier Sanchez, Simone Kotthaus, Jean-Eudes Petit, Philippe Ciais, and Michel Ramonet
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-602, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-602, 2025
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
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The Saclay observatory, 20 km southwest of Paris, monitored greenhouse and reactive gases, as well as aerosols, over 10 years to assess the impact of urban emissions. By comparing downwind and background conditions, the study revealed significant reductions in pollutants linked to traffic: -35.6 % for CO, -52.3 % for NOₓ, -56.7 % for eBC, and -15 % for CO2. These trends align with emission decrease estimates from AIRPARIF inventories over the same period.
Laura Cadeo, Beatrice Biffi, Benjamin Chazeau, Cristina Colombi, Rosario Cosenza, Eleonora Cuccia, Manousos-Ioannis Manousakas, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, André S. H. Prévôt, and Roberta Vecchi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 6435–6448, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6435-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6435-2025, 2025
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This study presents the deployment of the Xact® 625i Ambient Metals Monitor in Milan (Po Valley, Italy) and its performance in measuring particulate matter elemental composition at a high temporal resolution. Our findings demonstrate strong agreement between online and offline X-ray fluorescence analyses, underscoring the potential of advanced monitoring technologies for air quality research.
Hanrui Lang, Yunjiang Zhang, Sheng Zhong, Yongcai Rao, Minfeng Zhou, Jian Qiu, Jingyi Li, Diwen Liu, Florian Couvidat, Olivier Favez, Didier Hauglustaine, and Xinlei Ge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 10587–10601, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-10587-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-10587-2025, 2025
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This study investigates how dust pollution influences particulate nitrate formation. We found that dust pollution could reduce the effectiveness of ammonia emission controls by altering aerosol chemistry. Using field observations and modeling, we showed that dust particles affect nitrate distribution between gas and particle phases. Our findings highlight the need for pollution control strategies that consider both human emissions and dust sources for better urban air quality management.
Sophie Bogler, Jun Zhang, Rico K. Y. Cheung, Kun Li, André S. H. Prévôt, Imad El Haddad, and David M. Bell
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 10229–10243, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-10229-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-10229-2025, 2025
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Authentic aerosols emitted from residential wood stoves and open burning processes are only slightly oxidized by ozone in the atmosphere. Under dry conditions, the reaction does not proceed to completion, while under high humidity conditions, the reactivity proceeds further. These results indicate that the reactivity with ozone is likely impacted by aerosol phase state (e.g., aerosol viscosity).
Manousos I. Manousakas, Olga Zografou, Francesco Canonaco, Evangelia Diapouli, Stefanos Papagiannis, Maria Gini, Vasiliki Vasilatou, Anna Tobler, Stergios Vratolis, Jay G. Slowik, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, André S. H. Prevot, and Konstantinos Eleftheriadis
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3983–4002, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3983-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3983-2025, 2025
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Air pollution from airborne particles is a major health and environmental concern, especially in cities. Understanding the particles' sources is key to addressing this issue, but traditional methods require time-consuming sampling, delaying action. Our study introduces a real-time monitoring system that uses advanced instruments and software to track pollution instantly. This technology allows faster, more precise pollution analysis, helping cities create targeted strategies to improve air quality.
Irena Ježek Brecelj, Asta Gregorič, Lucijan Zgonik, Tjaša Rutar, Matic Ivančič, Bálint Alföldy, Griša Močnik, and Martin Rigler
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 9113–9125, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9113-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9113-2025, 2025
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Following a major car industry scandal involving diesel emissions tests, the European Union (EU) introduced new testing procedures. However, concerns remained about their effectiveness. Our independent study examined real-world vehicle emissions and revealed encouraging findings: modern diesel cars perform as well as, or even better than, gasoline cars in terms of nitrogen oxide emissions. We found the same pattern for soot particles, challenging common perceptions about diesel's environmental impact.
Junke Zhang, Xinyi Fu, Chunying Chen, Yunfei Su, Siyu Liu, Luyao Chen, Yubao Chen, Gehui Wang, and Andre S. H. Prevot
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 8983–9004, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8983-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8983-2025, 2025
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We measured (at the molecular level) the 125 organic aerosol (OA) compounds present in Chengdu in winter. OA was dominated by fatty acids, phthalate esters, and anhydrosugars, and it was deeply influenced by anthropogenic sources. As pollution worsened, secondary inorganic species and secondary organic carbon (OC) dominated the increase in PM2.5, fatty acids and anhydrosugars dominated the increase in OA, and the contributions of secondary formation and biomass burning to OC increased markedly.
Sijia Lou, Manish Shrivastava, Alexandre Albinet, Sophie Tomaz, Deepchandra Srivastava, Olivier Favez, Huizhong Shen, and Aijun Ding
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 8163–8183, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8163-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8163-2025, 2025
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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), emitted from incomplete combustion, pose serious health risks due to their carcinogenic properties. This research demonstrates that viscous organic aerosol coatings significantly hinder PAH oxidation, with spatial distributions sensitive to the degradation modeling approach. Our findings emphasize the need for accurate modeling of PAH oxidation processes in risk assessments, considering both fresh and oxidized PAHs in evaluating human health risks.
Jiamao Zhou, Jiarui Wu, Xiaoli Su, Ruonan Wang, Imad EI Haddad, Xia Li, Qian Jiang, Ting Zhang, Wenting Dai, Junji Cao, Andre S. H. Prevot, Xuexi Tie, and Guohui Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7563–7580, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7563-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7563-2025, 2025
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Brown carbon (BrC) is a type of airborne particle produced from various combustion sources which is light absorption. Historically, climate models have categorizing organic particles as either non-absorbing or purely reflective. Our study shows that BrC can reduce the usual cooling effect of organic particles. While BrC is often linked to biomass burning, however, BrC from fossil fuels contributes significantly to atmospheric heating.
Qingxiao Meng, Yunjiang Zhang, Sheng Zhong, Jie Fang, Lili Tang, Yongcai Rao, Minfeng Zhou, Jian Qiu, Xiaofeng Xu, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Favez, and Xinlei Ge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7485–7498, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7485-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7485-2025, 2025
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We developed a machine-learning-based method to reconstruct missing elemental carbon (EC) data in four Chinese cities from 2013 to 2023. Using machine learning, we filled data gaps and introduced a new approach to analyze EC trends. Our findings reveal a significant decline in EC due to stricter pollution controls, though this slowed after 2020. This study provides a versatile framework for addressing data gaps and supports strategies to reduce urban air pollution and its climate impacts.
Jesús Yus-Díez, Luka Drinovec, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Gloria Titos, Elena Bazo, Andrea Casans, Diego Patrón, Xavier Querol, Adolfo Gonzalez-Romero, Carlos Perez García-Pando, and Griša Močnik
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3073–3093, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3073-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3073-2025, 2025
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We have used absorption from a photothermal interferometer and scattering measurements to evaluate the most deployed filter photometers used to measure absorption for monitoring networks. We used soot- and dust-dominated aerosol samples in both laboratory and ambient settings. Our results indicated that one of these filter photometers, the MAAP (Multiangle Absorption Photometer), usually used as a pseudo-reference instrument, had 47 % higher absorption values than our reference measurements.
Anthony Rey-Pommier, Alexandre Héraud, Frédéric Chevallier, Philippe Ciais, Theodoros Christoudias, Jonilda Kushta, and Jean Sciare
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 3329–3351, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3329-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3329-2025, 2025
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In this study, we estimate emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in 2022 at high resolution at the global scale, using satellite observations. We provide maps of the emissions and identify several types of sources. Our results are similar to the EDGAR emission inventory. However, differences are found in countries with lower observation densities and lower emissions.
Ludovico Di Antonio, Matthias Beekmann, Guillaume Siour, Vincent Michoud, Christopher Cantrell, Astrid Bauville, Antonin Bergé, Mathieu Cazaunau, Servanne Chevaillier, Manuela Cirtog, Joel F. de Brito, Paola Formenti, Cecile Gaimoz, Olivier Garret, Aline Gratien, Valérie Gros, Martial Haeffelin, Lelia N. Hawkins, Simone Kotthaus, Gael Noyalet, Diana L. Pereira, Jean-Eudes Petit, Eva Drew Pronovost, Véronique Riffault, Chenjie Yu, Gilles Foret, Jean-François Doussin, and Claudia Di Biagio
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4803–4831, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4803-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4803-2025, 2025
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The summer of 2022 has been considered a proxy for future climate scenarios due to its hot and dry conditions. In this paper, we use the measurements from the Atmospheric Chemistry of the Suburban Forest (ACROSS) campaign, conducted in the Paris area in June–July 2022, along with observations from existing networks, to evaluate a 3D chemistry transport model (WRF–CHIMERE) simulation. Results are shown to be satisfactory, allowing us to explain the gas and aerosol variability at the campaign sites.
Diana L. Pereira, Chiara Giorio, Aline Gratien, Alexander Zherebker, Gael Noyalet, Servanne Chevaillier, Stéphanie Alage, Elie Almarj, Antonin Bergé, Thomas Bertin, Mathieu Cazaunau, Patrice Coll, Ludovico Di Antonio, Sergio Harb, Johannes Heuser, Cécile Gaimoz, Oscar Guillemant, Brigitte Language, Olivier Lauret, Camilo Macias, Franck Maisonneuve, Bénédicte Picquet-Varrault, Raquel Torres, Sylvain Triquet, Pascal Zapf, Lelia Hawkins, Drew Pronovost, Sydney Riley, Pierre-Marie Flaud, Emilie Perraudin, Pauline Pouyes, Eric Villenave, Alexandre Albinet, Olivier Favez, Robin Aujay-Plouzeau, Vincent Michoud, Christopher Cantrell, Manuela Cirtog, Claudia Di Biagio, Jean-François Doussin, and Paola Formenti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4885–4905, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4885-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4885-2025, 2025
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In order to study aerosols in environments influenced by anthropogenic and biogenic emissions, we performed analyses of samples collected during the ACROSS (Atmospheric Chemistry Of the Suburban Forest) campaign in summer 2022 in the greater Paris area. After analysis of the chemical composition by means of total carbon determination and high-resolution mass spectrometry, this work highlights the influence of anthropogenic inputs on the chemical composition of both urban and forested areas.
Ashutosh K. Shukla, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Shamitaksha Talukdar, Vishnu Murari, Sreenivas Gaddamidi, Manousos-Ioannis Manousakas, Vipul Lalchandani, Kuldeep Dixit, Vinayak M. Ruge, Peeyush Khare, Mayank Kumar, Vikram Singh, Neeraj Rastogi, Suresh Tiwari, Atul K. Srivastava, Dilip Ganguly, Kaspar Rudolf Daellenbach, and André S. H. Prévôt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3765–3784, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3765-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3765-2025, 2025
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Our study delves into the elemental composition of aerosols at three sites across the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), revealing distinct patterns during pollution episodes. We found significant increases in chlorine (Cl)-rich and solid fuel combustion (SFC) sources, indicating dynamic emission sources, agricultural burning impacts, and meteorological influences. Surges in Cl-rich particles during cold periods highlight their role in particle growth under high-relative-humidity conditions.
Neha Deot, Vijay P. Kanawade, Alkistis Papetta, Rima Baalbaki, Michael Pikridas, Franco Marenco, Markku Kulmala, Jean Sciare, Katrianne Lehtipalo, and Tuija Jokinen
Aerosol Research, 3, 139–154, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-139-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-139-2025, 2025
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We studied how nanoparticles form in the atmosphere at two different altitudes in Cyprus, focusing on how meteorology impacts this process. Using data from two sites, we found that air from lower regions carries particles up to higher areas, affecting air quality and potentially climate. Our findings help improve understanding of how particles form and grow in the air, which is important for predicting changes in climate and air pollution in the future.
Soo-Jin Park, Lya Lugon, Oscar Jacquot, Youngseob Kim, Alexia Baudic, Barbara D'Anna, Ludovico Di Antonio, Claudia Di Biagio, Fabrice Dugay, Olivier Favez, Véronique Ghersi, Aline Gratien, Julien Kammer, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Sanchez, Myrto Valari, Jérémy Vigneron, and Karine Sartelet
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3363–3387, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3363-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3363-2025, 2025
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To accurately represent the population exposure to outdoor concentrations of pollutants of interest to health (NO2, PM2.5, black carbon, and ultrafine particles), multi-scale modelling down to the street scale is set up and evaluated using measurements from field campaigns. An exposure scaling factor is defined, allowing regional-scale simulations to be corrected to evaluate population exposure. Urban heterogeneities strongly influence NO2, black carbon, and ultrafine particles but less strongly PM2.5.
Ludovico Di Antonio, Claudia Di Biagio, Paola Formenti, Aline Gratien, Vincent Michoud, Christopher Cantrell, Astrid Bauville, Antonin Bergé, Mathieu Cazaunau, Servanne Chevaillier, Manuela Cirtog, Patrice Coll, Barbara D'Anna, Joel F. de Brito, David O. De Haan, Juliette R. Dignum, Shravan Deshmukh, Olivier Favez, Pierre-Marie Flaud, Cecile Gaimoz, Lelia N. Hawkins, Julien Kammer, Brigitte Language, Franck Maisonneuve, Griša Močnik, Emilie Perraudin, Jean-Eudes Petit, Prodip Acharja, Laurent Poulain, Pauline Pouyes, Eva Drew Pronovost, Véronique Riffault, Kanuri I. Roundtree, Marwa Shahin, Guillaume Siour, Eric Villenave, Pascal Zapf, Gilles Foret, Jean-François Doussin, and Matthias Beekmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3161–3189, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3161-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3161-2025, 2025
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The spectral complex refractive index (CRI) and single scattering albedo were retrieved from submicron aerosol measurements at three sites within the greater Paris area during the ACROSS field campaign (June–July 2022). Measurements revealed urban emission impact on surrounding areas. CRI full period averages at 520 nm were 1.41 – 0.037i (urban), 1.52 – 0.038i (peri-urban), and 1.50 – 0.025i (rural). Organic aerosols dominated the aerosol mass and contributed up to 22 % of absorption at 370 nm.
Tiantian Wang, Jun Zhang, Houssni Lamkaddam, Kun Li, Ka Yuen Cheung, Lisa Kattner, Erlend Gammelsæter, Michael Bauer, Zachary C. J. Decker, Deepika Bhattu, Rujin Huang, Rob L. Modini, Jay G. Slowik, Imad El Haddad, Andre S. H. Prevot, and David M. Bell
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2707–2724, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2707-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2707-2025, 2025
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Our study analyzes real-time emissions of organic vapors from solid fuel combustion. Using the mass spectrometer, we tested various fuels, finding higher emission factors for organic vapors from wood burning. Intermediate-volatility organic compounds constituted a significant fraction of emissions in solid fuel combustion. Statistical tests identified unique potential markers. Our insights benefit air quality, climate, and health, aiding accurate emission assessments.
Hector Navarro-Barboza, Jordi Rovira, Vincenzo Obiso, Andrea Pozzer, Marta Via, Andres Alastuey, Xavier Querol, Noemi Perez, Marjan Savadkoohi, Gang Chen, Jesus Yus-Díez, Matic Ivancic, Martin Rigler, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Stergios Vratolis, Olga Zografou, Maria Gini, Benjamin Chazeau, Nicolas Marchand, Andre S. H. Prevot, Kaspar Dallenbach, Mikael Ehn, Krista Luoma, Tuukka Petäjä, Anna Tobler, Jaroslaw Necki, Minna Aurela, Hilkka Timonen, Jarkko Niemi, Olivier Favez, Jean-Eudes Petit, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Christoph Hueglin, Nicolas Pascal, Aurélien Chauvigné, Sébastien Conil, Marco Pandolfi, and Oriol Jorba
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2667–2694, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2667-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2667-2025, 2025
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Brown carbon (BrC) absorbs ultraviolet (UV) and visible light, influencing climate. This study explores BrC's imaginary refractive index (k) using data from 12 European sites. Residential emissions are a major organic aerosol (OA) source in winter, while secondary organic aerosol (SOA) dominates in summer. Source-specific k values were derived, improving model accuracy. The findings highlight BrC's climate impact and emphasize source-specific constraints in atmospheric models.
Shravan Deshmukh, Laurent Poulain, Birgit Wehner, Silvia Henning, Jean-Eudes Petit, Pauline Fombelle, Olivier Favez, Hartmut Herrmann, and Mira Pöhlker
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 741–758, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-741-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-741-2025, 2025
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Aerosol hygroscopicity has been investigated at a sub-urban site in Paris; analysis shows the sub-saturated regime's measured hygroscopicity and the chemically derived hygroscopic growth, shedding light on the large effect of external particle mixing and its influence on predicting hygroscopicity.
Chimurkar Navinya, Taveen Singh Kapoor, Gupta Anurag, Chandra Venkataraman, Harish C. Phuleria, and Rajan K. Chakrabarty
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13285–13297, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13285-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13285-2024, 2024
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Brown carbon (BrC) aerosols show an order-of-magnitude variation in their light absorption strength. Our understanding of BrC from real-world biomass burning remains limited, complicating the determination of its radiative impact. Our study reports absorption properties of BrC emitted from four major biomass burning sources using field measurements in India. It develops an absorption parameterization for BrC and examines the spatial variability in BrC's absorption strength across India.
Hasna Chebaicheb, Joel F. de Brito, Tanguy Amodeo, Florian Couvidat, Jean-Eudes Petit, Emmanuel Tison, Gregory Abbou, Alexia Baudic, Mélodie Chatain, Benjamin Chazeau, Nicolas Marchand, Raphaële Falhun, Florie Francony, Cyril Ratier, Didier Grenier, Romain Vidaud, Shouwen Zhang, Gregory Gille, Laurent Meunier, Caroline Marchand, Véronique Riffault, and Olivier Favez
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 5089–5109, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5089-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5089-2024, 2024
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Long-term (2015–2021) quasi-continuous measurements have been obtained at 13 French urban sites using online mass spectrometry, to acquire the comprehensive chemical composition of submicron particulate matter. The results show their spatial and temporal differences and confirm the predominance of organics in France (40–60 %). These measurements can be used for many future studies, such as trend and epidemiological analyses, or comparisons with chemical transport models.
Valeria Mardoñez-Balderrama, Griša Močnik, Marco Pandolfi, Robin L. Modini, Fernando Velarde, Laura Renzi, Angela Marinoni, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Isabel Moreno R., Diego Aliaga, Federico Bianchi, Claudia Mohr, Martin Gysel-Beer, Patrick Ginot, Radovan Krejci, Alfred Wiedensohler, Gaëlle Uzu, Marcos Andrade, and Paolo Laj
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12055–12077, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12055-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12055-2024, 2024
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Levels of black carbon (BC) are scarcely reported in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in high-altitude conditions. This study provides insight into the concentration level, variability, and optical properties of BC in La Paz and El Alto and at the Chacaltaya Global Atmosphere Watch Station. Two methods of source apportionment of absorption were tested and compared showing traffic as the main contributor to absorption in the urban area, in addition to biomass and open waste burning.
Imad El Haddad, Danielle Vienneau, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Robin Modini, Jay G. Slowik, Abhishek Upadhyay, Petros N. Vasilakos, David Bell, Kees de Hoogh, and Andre S. H. Prevot
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11981–12011, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11981-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11981-2024, 2024
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This opinion paper explores how advances in aerosol science inform our understanding of the health impacts of outdoor particulate pollution. We advocate for a shift in the way we target PM pollution, focusing on the most harmful anthropogenic emissions. We highlight key observations, modelling developments, and emission measurements needed to achieve this shift.
Myungje Choi, Alexei Lyapustin, Gregory L. Schuster, Sujung Go, Yujie Wang, Sergey Korkin, Ralph Kahn, Jeffrey S. Reid, Edward J. Hyer, Thomas F. Eck, Mian Chin, David J. Diner, Olga Kalashnikova, Oleg Dubovik, Jhoon Kim, and Hans Moosmüller
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10543–10565, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10543-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10543-2024, 2024
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This paper introduces a retrieval algorithm to estimate two key absorbing components in smoke (black carbon and brown carbon) using DSCOVR EPIC measurements. Our analysis reveals distinct smoke properties, including spectral absorption, layer height, and black carbon and brown carbon, over North America and central Africa. The retrieved smoke properties offer valuable observational constraints for modeling radiative forcing and informing health-related studies.
Matthieu Vida, Gilles Foret, Guillaume Siour, Florian Couvidat, Olivier Favez, Gaelle Uzu, Arineh Cholakian, Sébastien Conil, Matthias Beekmann, and Jean-Luc Jaffrezo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10601–10615, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10601-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10601-2024, 2024
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We simulate 2 years of atmospheric fungal spores over France and use observations of polyols and primary biogenic factors from positive matrix factorisation. The representation of emissions taking into account a proxy for vegetation surface and specific humidity enables us to reproduce very accurately the seasonal cycle of fungal spores. Furthermore, we estimate that fungal spores can account for 20 % of PM10 and 40 % of the organic fraction of PM10 over vegetated areas in summer.
Vy Dinh Ngoc Thuy, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Ian Hough, Pamela A. Dominutti, Guillaume Salque Moreton, Grégory Gille, Florie Francony, Arabelle Patron-Anquez, Olivier Favez, and Gaëlle Uzu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7261–7282, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7261-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7261-2024, 2024
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The capacity of particulate matter (PM) to generate reactive oxygen species in vivo is represented by oxidative potential (OP). This study focuses on finding the appropriate model to evaluate the oxidative character of PM sources in six sites using the PM sources and OP. Eight regression techniques are introduced to assess the OP of PM. The study highlights the importance of selecting a model according to the input data characteristics and establishes some recommendations for the procedure.
Alice Maison, Lya Lugon, Soo-Jin Park, Alexia Baudic, Christopher Cantrell, Florian Couvidat, Barbara D'Anna, Claudia Di Biagio, Aline Gratien, Valérie Gros, Carmen Kalalian, Julien Kammer, Vincent Michoud, Jean-Eudes Petit, Marwa Shahin, Leila Simon, Myrto Valari, Jérémy Vigneron, Andrée Tuzet, and Karine Sartelet
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 6011–6046, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-6011-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-6011-2024, 2024
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This study presents the development of a bottom-up inventory of urban tree biogenic emissions. Emissions are computed for each tree based on their location and characteristics and are integrated in the regional air quality model WRF-CHIMERE. The impact of these biogenic emissions on air quality is quantified for June–July 2022. Over Paris city, urban trees increase the concentrations of particulate organic matter by 4.6 %, of PM2.5 by 0.6 %, and of ozone by 1.0 % on average over 2 months.
Alkistis Papetta, Franco Marenco, Maria Kezoudi, Rodanthi-Elisavet Mamouri, Argyro Nisantzi, Holger Baars, Ioana Elisabeta Popovici, Philippe Goloub, Stéphane Victori, and Jean Sciare
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1721–1738, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1721-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1721-2024, 2024
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We propose a method to determine depolarization parameters using observations from a reference instrument at a nearby location, needed for systems where a priori knowledge of cross-talk parameters is not available. It uses three-parameter equations to compare VDR between two co-located lidars at dust and molecular layers. It can be applied retrospectively to existing data acquired during campaigns. Its application to Cimel CE376 corrected VDR bias at high- and low-depolarizing layers.
Yunsong Liu, Jean-Daniel Paris, Gregoire Broquet, Violeta Bescós Roy, Tania Meixus Fernandez, Rasmus Andersen, Andrés Russu Berlanga, Emil Christensen, Yann Courtois, Sebastian Dominok, Corentin Dussenne, Travis Eckert, Andrew Finlayson, Aurora Fernández de la Fuente, Catlin Gunn, Ram Hashmonay, Juliano Grigoleto Hayashi, Jonathan Helmore, Soeren Honsel, Fabrizio Innocenti, Matti Irjala, Torgrim Log, Cristina Lopez, Francisco Cortés Martínez, Jonathan Martinez, Adrien Massardier, Helle Gottschalk Nygaard, Paula Agregan Reboredo, Elodie Rousset, Axel Scherello, Matthias Ulbricht, Damien Weidmann, Oliver Williams, Nigel Yarrow, Murès Zarea, Robert Ziegler, Jean Sciare, Mihalis Vrekoussis, and Philippe Bousquet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1633–1649, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1633-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1633-2024, 2024
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We investigated the performance of 10 methane emission quantification techniques in a blind controlled-release experiment at an inerted natural gas compressor station. We reported their respective strengths, weaknesses, and potential complementarity depending on the emission rates and atmospheric conditions. Additionally, we assess the dependence of emission quantification performance on key parameters such as wind speed, deployment constraints, and measurement duration.
Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, Kristina Glojek, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Asta Gregorič, Martin Rigler, Matej Ogrin, Baseerat Romshoo, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, Mira Pöhlker, and Thomas Müller
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2583–2605, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2583-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2583-2024, 2024
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This study evaluated the air pollution and climate impacts of residential-wood-burning particle emissions from a rural European site. The authors investigate the optical and physical properties that connect the aerosol emissions with climate by evaluating atmospheric radiative impacts via simple-forcing calculations. The study contributes to reducing the lack of information on the understanding of the optical properties of air pollution from anthropogenic sources.
Nansi Fakhri, Robin Stevens, Arnold Downey, Konstantina Oikonomou, Jean Sciare, Charbel Afif, and Patrick L. Hayes
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 1193–1212, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1193-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1193-2024, 2024
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We investigated the chemical composition of atmospheric fine particles, their emission sources, and the potential human health risk associated with trace elements in particles for an urban site in Montréal over a 3-month period (August–November). This study represents the first time that such extensive composition measurements were included in an urban source apportionment study in Canada, and it provides greater resolution of fine-particle sources than has been previously achieved in Canada.
Abd El Rahman El Mais, Barbara D'Anna, Luka Drinovec, Andrew T. Lambe, Zhe Peng, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Favez, Selim Aït-Aïssa, and Alexandre Albinet
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15077–15096, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15077-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15077-2023, 2023
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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) and furans are key precursors of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) related to biomass burning emissions. We evaluated and compared the formation yields, and the physical and light absorption properties, of laboratory-generated SOAs from the oxidation of such compounds for both, day- and nighttime reactivities. The results illustrate that PAHs are large SOA precursors and may contribute significantly to the biomass burning brown carbon in the atmosphere.
Jun Zhang, Kun Li, Tiantian Wang, Erlend Gammelsæter, Rico K. Y. Cheung, Mihnea Surdu, Sophie Bogler, Deepika Bhattu, Dongyu S. Wang, Tianqu Cui, Lu Qi, Houssni Lamkaddam, Imad El Haddad, Jay G. Slowik, Andre S. H. Prevot, and David M. Bell
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14561–14576, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14561-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14561-2023, 2023
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We conducted burning experiments to simulate various types of solid fuel combustion, including residential burning, wildfires, agricultural burning, cow dung, and plastic bag burning. The chemical composition of the particles was characterized using mass spectrometers, and new potential markers for different fuels were identified using statistical analysis. This work improves our understanding of emissions from solid fuel burning and offers support for refined source apportionment.
Valeria Mardoñez, Marco Pandolfi, Lucille Joanna S. Borlaza, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Andrés Alastuey, Jean-Luc Besombes, Isabel Moreno R., Noemi Perez, Griša Močnik, Patrick Ginot, Radovan Krejci, Vladislav Chrastny, Alfred Wiedensohler, Paolo Laj, Marcos Andrade, and Gaëlle Uzu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10325–10347, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10325-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10325-2023, 2023
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La Paz and El Alto are two fast-growing, high-altitude Bolivian cities forming the second-largest metropolitan area in the country. The sources of particulate matter (PM) in this conurbation were not previously investigated. This study identified 11 main sources of PM, of which dust and vehicular emissions stand out as the main ones. The influence of regional biomass combustion and local waste combustion was also observed, with the latter being a major source of hazardous compounds.
Jean-Philippe Putaud, Enrico Pisoni, Alexander Mangold, Christoph Hueglin, Jean Sciare, Michael Pikridas, Chrysanthos Savvides, Jakub Ondracek, Saliou Mbengue, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Laurent Poulain, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Andreas Massling, Claus Nordstroem, Andrés Alastuey, Cristina Reche, Noemí Pérez, Sonia Castillo, Mar Sorribas, Jose Antonio Adame, Tuukka Petaja, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Jarkko Niemi, Véronique Riffault, Joel F. de Brito, Augustin Colette, Olivier Favez, Jean-Eudes Petit, Valérie Gros, Maria I. Gini, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Evangelia Diapouli, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Karl Espen Yttri, and Wenche Aas
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10145–10161, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10145-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10145-2023, 2023
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Many European people are still exposed to levels of air pollution that can affect their health. COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 were used to assess the impact of the reduction in human mobility on air pollution across Europe by comparing measurement data with values that would be expected if no lockdown had occurred. We show that lockdown measures did not lead to consistent decreases in the concentrations of fine particulate matter suspended in the air, and we investigate why.
Yong Zhang, Jie Tian, Qiyuan Wang, Lu Qi, Manousos Ioannis Manousakas, Yuemei Han, Weikang Ran, Yele Sun, Huikun Liu, Renjian Zhang, Yunfei Wu, Tianqu Cui, Kaspar Rudolf Daellenbach, Jay Gates Slowik, André S. H. Prévôt, and Junji Cao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9455–9471, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9455-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9455-2023, 2023
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PM2.5 pollution still frequently occurs in northern China during winter, and it is necessary to figure out the causes of air pollution based on intensive real-time measurement. The findings elaborate the chemical characteristics and source contributions of PM2.5 in three pilot cities, reveal potential formation mechanisms of secondary aerosols, and highlight the importance of controlling biomass burning and inhibiting generation of secondary aerosol for air quality improvement.
Sophie L. Haslett, David M. Bell, Varun Kumar, Jay G. Slowik, Dongyu S. Wang, Suneeti Mishra, Neeraj Rastogi, Atinderpal Singh, Dilip Ganguly, Joel Thornton, Feixue Zheng, Yuanyuan Li, Wei Nie, Yongchun Liu, Wei Ma, Chao Yan, Markku Kulmala, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, David Hadden, Urs Baltensperger, Andre S. H. Prevot, Sachchida N. Tripathi, and Claudia Mohr
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9023–9036, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9023-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9023-2023, 2023
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In Delhi, some aspects of daytime and nighttime atmospheric chemistry are inverted, and parodoxically, vehicle emissions may be limiting other forms of particle production. This is because the nighttime emissions of nitrogen oxide (NO) by traffic and biomass burning prevent some chemical processes that would otherwise create even more particles and worsen the urban haze.
Frédéric Ledoux, Cloé Roche, Gilles Delmaire, Gilles Roussel, Olivier Favez, Marc Fadel, and Dominique Courcot
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 8607–8622, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8607-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8607-2023, 2023
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We quantify the emissions from the marine sector in northern France, whether from natural or human-made sources. Therefore, a 1-year PM10 sampling campaign was conducted at a French coastal site. Results showed that sea salts contributed 37 %, while secondary nitrate and sulfate contributed 42 %, biomass burning 8 %, and heavy-fuel-oil combustion from shipping emissions 5 %. Sources contributing more than 80 % of PM10 are of regional and/or long-range origin.
Samira Atabakhsh, Laurent Poulain, Gang Chen, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Mira Pöhlker, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Hartmut Herrmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6963–6988, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6963-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6963-2023, 2023
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The study focuses on the aerosol chemical variations found in the rural-background station of Melpitz based on ACSM and MAAP measurements. Source apportionment on both organic aerosol (OA) and black carbon (eBC) was performed, and source seasonality was also linked to air mass trajectories. Overall, three anthropogenic sources were identified in OA and eBC plus two additional aged OA. Our results demonstrate the influence of transported coal-combustion-related OA even during summer time.
Aliki Christodoulou, Iasonas Stavroulas, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Maximillien Desservettaz, Michael Pikridas, Elie Bimenyimana, Jonilda Kushta, Matic Ivančič, Martin Rigler, Philippe Goloub, Konstantina Oikonomou, Roland Sarda-Estève, Chrysanthos Savvides, Charbel Afif, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Stéphane Sauvage, and Jean Sciare
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6431–6456, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6431-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6431-2023, 2023
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Our study presents, for the first time, a detailed source identification of aerosols at an urban background site in Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean), a region strongly impacted by climate change and air pollution. Here, we identify an unexpected high contribution of long-range transported pollution from fossil fuel sources in the Middle East, highlighting an urgent need to further characterize these fast-growing emissions and their impacts on regional atmospheric composition, climate, and health.
Leïla Simon, Valérie Gros, Jean-Eudes Petit, François Truong, Roland Sarda-Estève, Carmen Kalalian, Alexia Baudic, Caroline Marchand, and Olivier Favez
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1947–1968, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1947-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1947-2023, 2023
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Long-term measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been set up to better characterize the atmospheric chemistry at the SIRTA national facility (Paris area, France). Results obtained from the first 2 years (2020–2021) confirm the importance of local sources for short-lived compounds and the role played by meteorology and air mass origins in the long-term analysis of VOCs. They also point to a substantial influence of anthropogenic on the monoterpene loadings.
Pantelis Kiriakidis, Antonis Gkikas, Georgios Papangelis, Theodoros Christoudias, Jonilda Kushta, Emmanouil Proestakis, Anna Kampouri, Eleni Marinou, Eleni Drakaki, Angela Benedetti, Michael Rennie, Christian Retscher, Anne Grete Straume, Alexandru Dandocsi, Jean Sciare, and Vasilis Amiridis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4391–4417, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4391-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4391-2023, 2023
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With the launch of the Aeolus satellite, higher-accuracy wind products became available. This research was carried out to validate the assimilated wind products by testing their effect on the WRF-Chem model predictive ability of dust processes. This was carried out for the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region for two 2-month periods in autumn and spring 2020. The use of the assimilated products improved the dust forecasts of the autumn season (both quantitatively and qualitatively).
Vaishali Jain, Nidhi Tripathi, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Mansi Gupta, Lokesh K. Sahu, Vishnu Murari, Sreenivas Gaddamidi, Ashutosh K. Shukla, and Andre S. H. Prevot
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3383–3408, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3383-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3383-2023, 2023
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This research chemically characterises 173 different NMVOCs (non-methane volatile organic compounds) measured in real time for three seasons in the city of the central Indo-Gangetic basin of India, Lucknow. Receptor modelling is used to analyse probable sources of NMVOCs and their crucial role in forming ozone and secondary organic aerosols. It is observed that vehicular emissions and solid fuel combustion are the highest contributors to the emission of primary and secondary NMVOCs.
Tingting Feng, Yingkun Wang, Weiwei Hu, Ming Zhu, Wei Song, Wei Chen, Yanyan Sang, Zheng Fang, Wei Deng, Hua Fang, Xu Yu, Cheng Wu, Bin Yuan, Shan Huang, Min Shao, Xiaofeng Huang, Lingyan He, Young Ro Lee, Lewis Gregory Huey, Francesco Canonaco, Andre S. H. Prevot, and Xinming Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 611–636, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-611-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-611-2023, 2023
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To investigate the impact of aging processes on organic aerosols (OA), we conducted a comprehensive field study at a continental remote site using an on-line mass spectrometer. The results show that OA in the Chinese outflows were strongly influenced by upwind anthropogenic emissions. The aging processes can significantly decrease the OA volatility and result in a varied viscosity of OA under different circumstances, signifying the complex physiochemical properties of OA in aged plumes.
Balint Alfoldy, Asta Gregorič, Matic Ivančič, Irena Ježek, and Martin Rigler
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 135–152, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-135-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-135-2023, 2023
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Atmospheric concentrations and source apportionment (SA) of black carbon (BC) and CO2 were determined in an urban environment during a heating season. BC particles were attributed to two major sources: traffic and heating. The BC SA was implemented by an Aethalometer model used for the SA of CO2 supposing that the source-specific CO2 components are correlated with the corresponding BC. Source-specific emission factors were determined as a ratio of corresponding BC and CO2 components.
Yandong Tong, Lu Qi, Giulia Stefenelli, Dongyu Simon Wang, Francesco Canonaco, Urs Baltensperger, André Stephan Henry Prévôt, and Jay Gates Slowik
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 7265–7291, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7265-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7265-2022, 2022
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We present a method for positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis on a single dataset that includes measurements from both EESI-TOF and AMS in Zurich, Switzerland. For the first time, we resolved and quantified secondary organic aerosol (SOA) sources. Meanwhile, we also determined the retrieved EESI-TOF factor-dependent sensitivities. This method provides a framework for exploiting semi-quantitative, high-resolution instrumentation for quantitative source apportionment.
Payton Beeler and Rajan K. Chakrabarty
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 14825–14836, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14825-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14825-2022, 2022
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Understanding and parameterizing the influences of black carbon (BC) particle morphology and compositional heterogeneity on its light absorption represent a fundamental problem. We develop scaling laws using a single unifying parameter that effectively encompasses large-scale diversity observed in BC light absorption on a per-particle basis. The laws help reconcile the disparities between field observations and model predictions. Our framework is packaged in an open-source Python application.
Marsailidh M. Twigg, Augustinus J. C. Berkhout, Nicholas Cowan, Sabine Crunaire, Enrico Dammers, Volker Ebert, Vincent Gaudion, Marty Haaima, Christoph Häni, Lewis John, Matthew R. Jones, Bjorn Kamps, John Kentisbeer, Thomas Kupper, Sarah R. Leeson, Daiana Leuenberger, Nils O. B. Lüttschwager, Ulla Makkonen, Nicholas A. Martin, David Missler, Duncan Mounsor, Albrecht Neftel, Chad Nelson, Eiko Nemitz, Rutger Oudwater, Celine Pascale, Jean-Eudes Petit, Andrea Pogany, Nathalie Redon, Jörg Sintermann, Amy Stephens, Mark A. Sutton, Yuk S. Tang, Rens Zijlmans, Christine F. Braban, and Bernhard Niederhauser
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6755–6787, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6755-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6755-2022, 2022
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Ammonia (NH3) gas in the atmosphere impacts the environment, human health, and, indirectly, climate. Historic NH3 monitoring was labour intensive, and the instruments were complicated. Over the last decade, there has been a rapid technology development, including “plug-and-play” instruments. This study is an extensive field comparison of the currently available technologies and provides evidence that for routine monitoring, standard operating protocols are required for datasets to be comparable.
David M. Bell, Cheng Wu, Amelie Bertrand, Emelie Graham, Janne Schoonbaert, Stamatios Giannoukos, Urs Baltensperger, Andre S. H. Prevot, Ilona Riipinen, Imad El Haddad, and Claudia Mohr
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 13167–13182, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13167-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13167-2022, 2022
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A series of studies designed to investigate the evolution of organic aerosol were performed in an atmospheric simulation chamber, using a common oxidant found at night (NO3). The chemical composition steadily changed from its initial composition via different chemical reactions that were taking place inside of the aerosol particle. These results show that the composition of organic aerosol steadily changes during its lifetime in the atmosphere.
Charlotte M. Beall, Thomas C. J. Hill, Paul J. DeMott, Tobias Köneman, Michael Pikridas, Frank Drewnick, Hartwig Harder, Christopher Pöhlker, Jos Lelieveld, Bettina Weber, Minas Iakovides, Roman Prokeš, Jean Sciare, Meinrat O. Andreae, M. Dale Stokes, and Kimberly A. Prather
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 12607–12627, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12607-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12607-2022, 2022
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Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) are rare aerosols that can trigger ice formation in clouds and affect climate-relevant cloud properties such as phase, reflectivity and lifetime. Dust is the dominant INP source, yet few measurements have been reported near major dust sources. We report INP observations within hundreds of kilometers of the biggest dust source regions globally: the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula. Results show that at temperatures > −15 °C, INPs are dominated by organics.
Marta Via, Gang Chen, Francesco Canonaco, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Benjamin Chazeau, Hasna Chebaicheb, Jianhui Jiang, Hannes Keernik, Chunshui Lin, Nicolas Marchand, Cristina Marin, Colin O'Dowd, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Jean-Eudes Petit, Michael Pikridas, Véronique Riffault, Jean Sciare, Jay G. Slowik, Leïla Simon, Jeni Vasilescu, Yunjiang Zhang, Olivier Favez, André S. H. Prévôt, Andrés Alastuey, and María Cruz Minguillón
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5479–5495, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5479-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5479-2022, 2022
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This work presents the differences resulting from two techniques (rolling and seasonal) of the positive matrix factorisation model that can be run for organic aerosol source apportionment. The current state of the art suggests that the rolling technique is more accurate, but no proof of its effectiveness has been provided yet. This paper tackles this issue in the context of a synthetic dataset and a multi-site real-world comparison.
Anthony Rey-Pommier, Frédéric Chevallier, Philippe Ciais, Grégoire Broquet, Theodoros Christoudias, Jonilda Kushta, Didier Hauglustaine, and Jean Sciare
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 11505–11527, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11505-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11505-2022, 2022
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Emission inventories for air pollutants can be uncertain in developing countries. In order to overcome these uncertainties, we model nitrogen oxide emissions in Egypt using satellite retrievals. We detect a weekly cycle reflecting Egyptian social norms, an annual cycle consistent with electricity consumption and an activity drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, discrepancies with inventories remain high, illustrating the needs for additional data to improve the potential of our method.
Joshin Kumar, Theo Paik, Nishit J. Shetty, Patrick Sheridan, Allison C. Aiken, Manvendra K. Dubey, and Rajan K. Chakrabarty
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4569–4583, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4569-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4569-2022, 2022
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Accurate long-term measurement of aerosol light absorption is vital for assessing direct aerosol radiative forcing. Light absorption by aerosols at the US Department of Energy long-term climate monitoring SGP site is measured using the Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP), which suffers from artifacts and biases difficult to quantify. Machine learning offers a promising path forward to correct for biases in the long-term absorption dataset at the SGP site and similar Class-I areas.
Yunsong Liu, Jean-Daniel Paris, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Panayiota Antoniou, Christos Constantinides, Maximilien Desservettaz, Christos Keleshis, Olivier Laurent, Andreas Leonidou, Carole Philippon, Panagiotis Vouterakos, Pierre-Yves Quéhé, Philippe Bousquet, and Jean Sciare
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4431–4442, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4431-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4431-2022, 2022
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This paper details laboratory-based and field developments of a cost-effective and compacted UAV CO2 sensor system to address the challenge of measuring CO2 with sufficient precision and acquisition frequency. We assess its performance extensively through laboratory and field tests and provide a case study in an urban area (Nicosia, Cyprus). We therefore expect that this portable system will be widely used for measuring CO2 emission and distribution in natural or urban environments.
Karine Sartelet, Youngseob Kim, Florian Couvidat, Maik Merkel, Tuukka Petäjä, Jean Sciare, and Alfred Wiedensohler
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 8579–8596, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8579-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8579-2022, 2022
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A methodology is defined to estimate number emissions from an inventory providing mass emissions. Number concentrations are simulated over Greater Paris using different nucleation parameterisations (binary, ternary involving sulfuric acid and ammonia, and heteromolecular involving sulfuric acid and extremely low-volatility organics, ELVOCs). The comparisons show that ternary nucleation may not be a dominant process for new particle formation in cities, but they stress the role of ELVOCs.
Luka Drinovec, Uroš Jagodič, Luka Pirker, Miha Škarabot, Mario Kurtjak, Kristijan Vidović, Luca Ferrero, Bradley Visser, Jannis Röhrbein, Ernest Weingartner, Daniel M. Kalbermatter, Konstantina Vasilatou, Tobias Bühlmann, Celine Pascale, Thomas Müller, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Griša Močnik
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3805–3825, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3805-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3805-2022, 2022
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A new photothermal interferometer (PTAAM-2λ) for artefact-free determination of the aerosol absorption coefficient at two wavelengths is presented. The instrument is calibrated with NO2 and polydisperse nigrosin, resulting in very low uncertainties of the absorption coefficients: 4 % at 532 nm and 6 % at 1064 nm. The instrument’s performance makes the PTAAM-2λ a strong candidate for reference measurements of the aerosol absorption coefficient.
Chuan Ping Lee, Mihnea Surdu, David M. Bell, Josef Dommen, Mao Xiao, Xueqin Zhou, Andrea Baccarini, Stamatios Giannoukos, Günther Wehrle, Pascal André Schneider, Andre S. H. Prevot, Jay G. Slowik, Houssni Lamkaddam, Dongyu Wang, Urs Baltensperger, and Imad El Haddad
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3747–3760, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3747-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3747-2022, 2022
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Real-time detection of both the gas and particle phase is needed to elucidate the sources and chemical reaction pathways of organic vapors and particulate matter. The Dual-EESI was developed to measure gas- and particle-phase species to provide new insights into aerosol sources or formation mechanisms. After characterizing the relative gas and particle response factors of EESI via organic aerosol uptake experiments, the Dual-EESI is more sensitive toward gas-phase analyes.
Varun Kumar, Stamatios Giannoukos, Sophie L. Haslett, Yandong Tong, Atinderpal Singh, Amelie Bertrand, Chuan Ping Lee, Dongyu S. Wang, Deepika Bhattu, Giulia Stefenelli, Jay S. Dave, Joseph V. Puthussery, Lu Qi, Pawan Vats, Pragati Rai, Roberto Casotto, Rangu Satish, Suneeti Mishra, Veronika Pospisilova, Claudia Mohr, David M. Bell, Dilip Ganguly, Vishal Verma, Neeraj Rastogi, Urs Baltensperger, Sachchida N. Tripathi, André S. H. Prévôt, and Jay G. Slowik
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 7739–7761, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7739-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7739-2022, 2022
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Here we present source apportionment results from the first field deployment in Delhi of an extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF). The EESI-TOF is a recently developed instrument capable of providing uniquely detailed online chemical characterization of organic aerosol (OA), in particular the secondary OA (SOA) fraction. Here, we are able to apportion not only primary OA but also SOA to specific sources, which is performed for the first time in Delhi.
Jie Luo, Zhengqiang Li, Chenchong Zhang, Qixing Zhang, Yongming Zhang, Ying Zhang, Gabriele Curci, and Rajan K. Chakrabarty
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 7647–7666, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7647-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7647-2022, 2022
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The fractal black carbon was applied to re-evaluate the regional impacts of morphologies on aerosol–radiation interactions (ARIs), and the effects were compared between the US and China. The regional-mean clear-sky ARI is significantly affected by the BC morphology, and relative differences of 17.1 % and 38.7 % between the fractal model with a Df of 1.8 and the spherical model were observed in eastern China and the northwest US, respectively.
George K. Georgiou, Theodoros Christoudias, Yiannis Proestos, Jonilda Kushta, Michael Pikridas, Jean Sciare, Chrysanthos Savvides, and Jos Lelieveld
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 4129–4146, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-4129-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-4129-2022, 2022
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We evaluate the skill of the WRF-Chem model to perform high-resolution air quality forecasts (including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter) over the Eastern Mediterranean, during winter and summer. We compare the forecast output to observational data from background and urban locations and the forecast output from CAMS. WRF-Chem was found to forecast the concentrations and diurnal profiles of gas-phase pollutants in urban areas with higher accuracy.
Amir Yazdani, Nikunj Dudani, Satoshi Takahama, Amelie Bertrand, André S. H. Prévôt, Imad El Haddad, and Ann M. Dillner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2857–2874, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2857-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2857-2022, 2022
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While the aerosol mass spectrometer provides high-time-resolution characterization of the overall extent of oxidation, the extensive fragmentation of molecules and specificity of the technique have posed challenges toward deeper understanding of molecular structures in aerosols. This work demonstrates how functional group information can be extracted from a suite of commonly measured mass fragments using collocated infrared spectroscopy measurements.
Olga B. Popovicheva, Nikolaos Evangeliou, Vasilii O. Kobelev, Marina A. Chichaeva, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Asta Gregorič, and Nikolay S. Kasimov
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5983–6000, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5983-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5983-2022, 2022
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Measurements of black carbon (BC) combined with atmospheric transport modeling reveal that gas flaring from oil and gas extraction in Kazakhstan, Volga-Ural, Komi, Nenets and western Siberia contributes the largest share of surface BC in the Russian Arctic dominating over domestic, industrial and traffic sectors. Pollution episodes show an increasing trend in concentration levels and frequency as the station is in the Siberian gateway of the highest anthropogenic pollution to the Russian Arctic.
Adam Brighty, Véronique Jacob, Gaëlle Uzu, Lucille Borlaza, Sébastien Conil, Christoph Hueglin, Stuart K. Grange, Olivier Favez, Cécile Trébuchon, and Jean-Luc Jaffrezo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 6021–6043, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6021-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6021-2022, 2022
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With an revised analytical method and long-term sampling strategy, we have been able to elucidate much more information about atmospheric plant debris, a poorly understood class of particulate matter. We found weaker seasonal patterns at urban locations compared to rural locations and significant interannual variability in concentrations between previous years and 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests a possible man-made influence on plant debris concentration and source strength.
Kristina Glojek, Griša Močnik, Honey Dawn C. Alas, Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, Luka Drinovec, Asta Gregorič, Matej Ogrin, Kay Weinhold, Irena Ježek, Thomas Müller, Martin Rigler, Maja Remškar, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Martina Ristorini, Maik Merkel, Miha Markelj, and Alfred Wiedensohler
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5577–5601, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5577-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5577-2022, 2022
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A pilot study to determine the emissions of wood burning under
real-world laboratoryconditions was conducted. We found that measured black carbon (eBC) and particulate matter (PM) in rural shallow terrain depressions with residential wood burning could be much greater than predicted by models. The exceeding levels are a cause for concern since similar conditions can be expected in numerous hilly and mountainous regions across Europe, where approximately 20 % of the total population lives.
Daniel M. Kalbermatter, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Bradley Visser, Jannis Röhrbein, Matthias Oscity, Ernest Weingartner, Antti-Pekka Hyvärinen, and Konstantina Vasilatou
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 561–572, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-561-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-561-2022, 2022
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Soot particles with varying amounts of secondary organic matter coating were generated and used to compare a series of aerosol-absorption-measuring instruments: filter-based and photoacoustic instruments as well as photo-thermal interferometers. Significant deviations in the response of the instruments were observed depending on the amount of secondary organic coating. The system can be used for the inter-comparison and characterisation of instruments.
Kai Tang, Beatriz Sánchez-Parra, Petya Yordanova, Jörn Wehking, Anna T. Backes, Daniel A. Pickersgill, Stefanie Maier, Jean Sciare, Ulrich Pöschl, Bettina Weber, and Janine Fröhlich-Nowoisky
Biogeosciences, 19, 71–91, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-71-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-71-2022, 2022
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Metagenomic sequencing and freezing experiments of aerosol samples collected on Cyprus revealed rain-related short-term changes of bioaerosol and ice nuclei composition. Filtration experiments showed a rain-related enhancement of biological ice nuclei > 5 µm and < 0.1 µm. The observed effects of rainfall on the composition of atmospheric bioaerosols and ice nuclei may influence the hydrological cycle as well as the health effects of air particulate matter (pathogens, allergens).
Clémence Rose, Martine Collaud Coen, Elisabeth Andrews, Yong Lin, Isaline Bossert, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Thomas Tuch, Alfred Wiedensohler, Markus Fiebig, Pasi Aalto, Andrés Alastuey, Elisabeth Alonso-Blanco, Marcos Andrade, Begoña Artíñano, Todor Arsov, Urs Baltensperger, Susanne Bastian, Olaf Bath, Johan Paul Beukes, Benjamin T. Brem, Nicolas Bukowiecki, Juan Andrés Casquero-Vera, Sébastien Conil, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Olivier Favez, Harald Flentje, Maria I. Gini, Francisco Javier Gómez-Moreno, Martin Gysel-Beer, Anna Gannet Hallar, Ivo Kalapov, Nikos Kalivitis, Anne Kasper-Giebl, Melita Keywood, Jeong Eun Kim, Sang-Woo Kim, Adam Kristensson, Markku Kulmala, Heikki Lihavainen, Neng-Huei Lin, Hassan Lyamani, Angela Marinoni, Sebastiao Martins Dos Santos, Olga L. Mayol-Bracero, Frank Meinhardt, Maik Merkel, Jean-Marc Metzger, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Jakub Ondracek, Marco Pandolfi, Noemi Pérez, Tuukka Petäjä, Jean-Eudes Petit, David Picard, Jean-Marc Pichon, Veronique Pont, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Fabienne Reisen, Karine Sellegri, Sangeeta Sharma, Gerhard Schauer, Patrick Sheridan, James Patrick Sherman, Andreas Schwerin, Ralf Sohmer, Mar Sorribas, Junying Sun, Pierre Tulet, Ville Vakkari, Pieter Gideon van Zyl, Fernando Velarde, Paolo Villani, Stergios Vratolis, Zdenek Wagner, Sheng-Hsiang Wang, Kay Weinhold, Rolf Weller, Margarita Yela, Vladimir Zdimal, and Paolo Laj
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17185–17223, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17185-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17185-2021, 2021
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Aerosol particles are a complex component of the atmospheric system the effects of which are among the most uncertain in climate change projections. Using data collected at 62 stations, this study provides the most up-to-date picture of the spatial distribution of particle number concentration and size distribution worldwide, with the aim of contributing to better representation of aerosols and their interactions with clouds in models and, therefore, better evaluation of their impact on climate.
Jean-Eudes Petit, Jean-Charles Dupont, Olivier Favez, Valérie Gros, Yunjiang Zhang, Jean Sciare, Leila Simon, François Truong, Nicolas Bonnaire, Tanguy Amodeo, Robert Vautard, and Martial Haeffelin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17167–17183, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17167-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17167-2021, 2021
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The COVID-19 outbreak led to lockdowns at national scales in spring 2020. Large cuts in emissions occurred, but the quantitative assessment of their role from observations is hindered by weather and interannual variability. That is why we developed an innovative methodology in order to best characterize the impact of lockdown on atmospheric chemistry. We find that a local decrease in traffic-related pollutants triggered a decrease of secondary aerosols and an increase in ozone.
Dongyu S. Wang, Chuan Ping Lee, Jordan E. Krechmer, Francesca Majluf, Yandong Tong, Manjula R. Canagaratna, Julia Schmale, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, Josef Dommen, Imad El Haddad, Jay G. Slowik, and David M. Bell
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6955–6972, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6955-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6955-2021, 2021
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To understand the sources and fate of particulate matter in the atmosphere, the ability to quantitatively describe its chemical composition is essential. In this work, we developed a calibration method for a state-of-the-art measurement technique without the need for chemical standards. Statistical analyses identified the driving factors behind instrument sensitivity variability towards individual components of particulate matter.
Wenfei Zhu, Song Guo, Zirui Zhang, Hui Wang, Ying Yu, Zheng Chen, Ruizhe Shen, Rui Tan, Kai Song, Kefan Liu, Rongzhi Tang, Yi Liu, Shengrong Lou, Yuanju Li, Wenbin Zhang, Zhou Zhang, Shijin Shuai, Hongming Xu, Shuangde Li, Yunfa Chen, Min Hu, Francesco Canonaco, and Andre S. H. Prévôt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 15065–15079, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15065-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15065-2021, 2021
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The experiments of primary emissions and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from urban lifestyle sources (cooking and vehicles) were conducted. The mass spectral features of primary organic aerosol (POA) and SOA were characterized by using a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer. This work, for the first time, establishes the vehicle and cooking SOA source profiles and can be further used as source constraints in the OA source apportionment in the ambient atmosphere.
Gang Chen, Yulia Sosedova, Francesco Canonaco, Roman Fröhlich, Anna Tobler, Athanasia Vlachou, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Carlo Bozzetti, Christoph Hueglin, Peter Graf, Urs Baltensperger, Jay G. Slowik, Imad El Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 15081–15101, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15081-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15081-2021, 2021
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A novel, advanced source apportionment technique was applied to a dataset measured in Magadino. Rolling positive matrix factorisation (PMF) allows for retrieving more realistic, time-dependent, and detailed information on organic aerosol sources. The strength of the rolling PMF mechanism is highlighted by comparing it with results derived from conventional seasonal PMF. Overall, this comprehensive interpretation of aerosol chemical speciation monitor data could be a role model for similar work.
Cheng Wu, David M. Bell, Emelie L. Graham, Sophie Haslett, Ilona Riipinen, Urs Baltensperger, Amelie Bertrand, Stamatios Giannoukos, Janne Schoonbaert, Imad El Haddad, Andre S. H. Prevot, Wei Huang, and Claudia Mohr
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14907–14925, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14907-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14907-2021, 2021
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Night-time reactions of biogenic volatile organic compounds and nitrate radicals can lead to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (BSOANO3). Here, we study the impacts of light exposure on the BSOANO3 from three biogenic precursors. Our results suggest that photolysis causes photodegradation of a substantial fraction of BSOANO3, changes the chemical composition and bulk volatility, and might be a potentially important loss pathway of BSOANO3 during the night-to-day transition.
Anna K. Tobler, Alicja Skiba, Francesco Canonaco, Griša Močnik, Pragati Rai, Gang Chen, Jakub Bartyzel, Miroslaw Zimnoch, Katarzyna Styszko, Jaroslaw Nęcki, Markus Furger, Kazimierz Różański, Urs Baltensperger, Jay G. Slowik, and Andre S. H. Prevot
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14893–14906, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14893-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14893-2021, 2021
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Kraków is among the cities with the highest particulate matter levels within Europe. We conducted long-term and highly time-resolved measurements of the chemical composition of submicron particlulate matter (PM1). Combined with advanced source apportionment techniques, which allow for time-dependent factor profiles, our results elucidate that traffic and residential heating (biomass burning and coal combustion) as well as oxygenated organic aerosol are the key PM sources in Kraków.
Jesús Yus-Díez, Vera Bernardoni, Griša Močnik, Andrés Alastuey, Davide Ciniglia, Matic Ivančič, Xavier Querol, Noemí Perez, Cristina Reche, Martin Rigler, Roberta Vecchi, Sara Valentini, and Marco Pandolfi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6335–6355, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6335-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6335-2021, 2021
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Here we characterize the multiple-scattering factor, C, of the dual-spot Aethalometer AE33 and its cross-sensitivity to scattering and wavelength dependence for three background stations: urban, regional and mountaintop. C was obtained for two sets of filter tapes: M8020 and M8060. The cross-sensitivity to scattering and wavelength dependence of C were determined by inter-comparing with other absorption and scattering measurements including multi-angle off-line absorption measurements.
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Short summary
Black carbon measurements are usually conducted with absorption filter photometers, which are prone to the filter-loading effect – a saturation of the instrumental response due to the accumulation of the sample in the filter matrix. In this paper, we conducted several field campaigns to investigate the hypothesis that this filter-loading effect depends on the optical properties of particles present in the filter matrix, especially on the coating of black carbon particles.
Black carbon measurements are usually conducted with absorption filter photometers, which are...
