Articles | Volume 12, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3417-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3417-2019
Research article
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27 Jun 2019
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 27 Jun 2019

Evaluating biases in filter-based aerosol absorption measurements using photoacoustic spectroscopy

Nicholas W. Davies, Cathryn Fox, Kate Szpek, Michael I. Cotterell, Jonathan W. Taylor, James D. Allan, Paul I. Williams, Jamie Trembath, Jim M. Haywood, and Justin M. Langridge

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Cited articles

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Arnott, W. P., Moosmüller, H., Rogers, C. F., Jin, T., and Bruch, R.: Photoacoustic spectrometer for measuring light absorption by aerosol: Instrument description, Atmos. Environ., 33, 2845–2852, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(98)00361-6, 1999. 
Backman, J., Virkkula, A., Vakkari, V., Beukes, J. P., Van Zyl, P. G., Josipovic, M., Piketh, S., Tiitta, P., Chiloane, K., Petäjä, T., Kulmala, M., and Laakso, L.: Differences in aerosol absorption Ångström exponents between correction algorithms for a particle soot absorption photometer measured on the South African Highveld, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 4285–4298, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4285-2014, 2014. 
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Short summary
This research project assesses biases in traditional, filter-based, aerosol absorption measurements by comparison to state-of-the-art, non-filter-based, or in situ, measurements. We assess biases in traditional absorption measurements for three main aerosol types, including dust and fresh and aged biomass burning aerosols. The main results of this study are that the traditional and state-of-the-art absorption measurements are well correlated and that biases in the former are up to 45 %.
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