Articles | Volume 12, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4779-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4779-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Determination of n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and hopanes in atmospheric aerosol: evaluation and comparison of thermal desorption GC-MS and solvent extraction GC-MS approaches
Meng Wang
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Ru-Jin Huang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
Junji Cao
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
Wenting Dai
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
Jiamao Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
Chunshui Lin
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
Haiyan Ni
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
Jing Duan
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
Ting Wang
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG),
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061,
China
Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics (KLACP), Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
Yang Chen
Key Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment of CAS, Chongqing
Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Chongqing 400714, China
Yongjie Li
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science
and Technology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution
Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking
University, Beijing 100871, China
Imad El Haddad
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232
Villigen PSI, Switzerland
Thorsten Hoffmann
Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg
University of Mainz, Duesbergweg 10–14, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 16147–16165, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16147-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16147-2025, 2025
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Peng Yao, Rupert Holzinger, Beatriz Sayuri Oyama, Agne Masalaite, Dipayan Paul, Haiyan Ni, Hanne Noto, Dušan Materić, Maria de Fátima Andrade, Ru-Jin Huang, and Ulrike Dusek
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5655, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5655, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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We identify a previously unrecognized class of synthetic organic compounds, large molecular methylsiloxanes, in ambient aerosols across diverse environments in three countries. These compounds are present at substantial levels, primarily originating from traffic emissions related to engine lubrication. Their high abundance and significant daily human exposure suggest potential, yet still poorly understood, implications for both health and climate.
Pauline Bros, Sophie Darfeuil, Véronique Jacob, Rhabira Elazzouzi, Dielleza Tusha, Tristan Rousseau, Julian Weng, Patrik Winiger, Imad El Haddad, Christoph Hueglin, Gaëlle Uzu, and Jean-Luc Jaffrezo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 6315–6327, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6315-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6315-2025, 2025
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We present and validate an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantification of 21 sugars in atmospheric particulate matter. The method is fast, sensitive, and suitable for low-mass samples. Its application to a 6-year dataset from the Jungfraujoch site highlights its potential for source identification and understanding of biogenic and biomass burning tracers.
Baihua Chen, Lu Lei, Emmanuel Chevassus, Wei Xu, Ling Zhen, Haobin Zhong, Lin Wang, Chunshui Lin, Ru-Jin Huang, Darius Ceburnis, Colin O'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 14205–14219, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14205-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14205-2025, 2025
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Yuhang Hao, Peizhao Li, Yafeng Gou, Zhenshuai Wang, Mi Tian, Yang Chen, Ye Kuang, Hanbing Xu, Fenglian Wan, Yuqian Luo, Wei Huang, and Jing Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 12811–12830, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12811-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12811-2025, 2025
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Intensified heatwaves under global warming have influenced new particle formation (NPF) and related aerosol physicochemical properties. We show that aerosol optical hygroscopicity (f(RH)) was generally higher on NPF days than in non-event cases, likely due to enhanced secondary formation and subsequent growth of both pre-existing and newly formed particles with stronger photooxidation, specifically under persistent heatwaves. This would further impact the aerosol direct radiative forcing.
Jackson Seymore, Martanda Gautam, Miklós Szakáll, Alexander Theis, Thorsten Hoffmann, Jialiang Ma, Lingli Zhou, and Alexander L. Vogel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 11829–11845, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11829-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11829-2025, 2025
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We investigated the chemical retention of water-soluble organic compounds in Beijing aerosols using an acoustic levitator and drop-freezing experiments. Samples from PM2.5 filter extracts were frozen at -15 °C in an acoustic levitator without artificial nucleators and analyzed using ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry. Our findings reveal a non-normal distribution of retention coefficients that differs from current literature on cloud droplets.
Yali Jin, Hao Luo, Siqi Tang, Shuhui Xue, Chengyu Nie, Xiaocong Peng, Yan Zheng, Weiqi Xu, Guohua Zhang, Xiaole Pan, Yele Sun, Qi Chen, Lanzhong Liu, and Defeng Zhao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4322, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4322, 2025
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Cloud substantially changes the compositions organic aerosol. How cloud processing of organics occur on molecular level remains unclear. We found that compared with cloud free particles, organics in cloud contains more large molecules likely due to accretion reactions and has more nitrogen-containing compounds. We identify some new compounds formed in cloud. Such modifications of the organics in cloud can further change its physicochemical properties, and impact on climate and human health.
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).
Maja Rüth, Nicole Bobrowski, Ellen Bräutigam, Alexander Nies, Jonas Kuhn, Thorsten Hoffmann, Niklas Karbach, Bastien Geil, Ralph Kleinschek, Stefan Schmitt, and Ulrich Platt
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UV absorption and electrochemical O3 sensor measurement techniques suffer from interferences, especially from SO2, which is a main constituent of volcanic plumes. Only chemiluminescence (CL) O3 monitors have no known interference with SO2. However, modern CL O3 monitors are impractical because they are heavy and bulky. We developed and applied a lightweight version of a CL O3 instrument (l.5 kg, shoebox size) and present the result of those drone based CL O3 measurements.
Chunshui Lin, Ru-Jin Huang, Jing Duan, Jing Qu, Jiahua Liu, Yi Liu, Yan Luo, Wei Huang, Wei Xu, Yanan Zhan, Zhitao Liu, Sihan Liu, Qingshuang Zhang, Quan Liu, Zirui Liu, Shengrong Lou, Huinan Yang, Dan Dan Huang, Cheng Huang, and Hongli Wang
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Since China's 2013 Clean Air Act cut PM2.5 by over half, winter haze in the North China Plain persists due to secondary organic aerosols now dominating primary pollutants, requiring urgent regional cooperation to address model-underestimated chemical transformations and cross-border pollution.
Neil M. Donahue, Victoria Hofbauer, Henning Finkenzeller, Dominik Stolzenburg, Paulus S. Bauer, Randall Chiu, Lubna Dada, Jonathan Duplissy, Xu-Cheng He, Martin Heinritzi, Christopher R. Hoyle, Andreas Kürten, Aleksandr Kvashnin, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Naser Mahfouz, Vladimir Makhmutov, Roy L. Mauldin III, Ugo Molteni, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Matti Rissanen, Siegfried Schobesberger, Mario Simon, Andrea C. Wagner, Mingyi Wang, Chao Yan, Penglin Ye, Ilona Riipinen, Hamish Gordon, Joachim Curtius, Armin Hansel, Imad El Haddad, Markku Kulmala, Douglas R. Worsnop, Rainer Volkamer, Paul M. Winkler, Jasper Kirkby, and Richard Flagan
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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
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3284, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3284, 2025
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Anna Breuninger, Philipp Joppe, Jonas Wilsch, Cornelis Schwenk, Heiko Bozem, Nicolas Emig, Laurin Merkel, Rainer Rossberg, Timo Keber, Arthur Kutschka, Philipp Waleska, Stefan Hofmann, Sarah Richter, Florian Ungeheuer, Konstantin Dörholt, Thorsten Hoffmann, Annette Miltenberger, Johannes Schneider, Peter Hoor, and Alexander L. Vogel
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3129, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3129, 2025
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We evaluate the applicability of empirical equations to estimate OH exposure (OHexp) in an oxidative flow reactor (OFR). The fitting parameters obtained within a narrow range of conditions can generally be extended to estimate the OHexp for wide ranges of conditions in the OFR, except for external OH reactivity, which requires new fitting. At least 20–30 data points from SO2 or CO decay with varying conditions are required to fit a set of empirical parameters that can accurately estimate OHexp.
Ruiqi Man, Yishu Zhu, Zhijun Wu, Peter Aaron Alpert, Bingbing Wang, Jing Dou, Jie Chen, Yan Zheng, Yanli Ge, Qi Chen, Shiyi Chen, Xiangrui Kong, Markus Ammann, and Min Hu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2301, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2301, 2025
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1483, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1483, 2025
Preprint archived
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In this study, a new framework of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) prediction in polluted region has been developed and it achieves well prediction of hourly-to-yearly scale across North China Plain. The study reveals a significant long-term decreasing trend of CCN concentration at typical supersaturations due to a rapid reduction in aerosol concentrations from 2014 to 2018. This improvement of our new model would be helpful to aerosols climate effect assessment in models.
Chao Peng, Yan Ding, Zhenliang Li, Tianyu Zhai, Xinping Yang, Mi Tian, Yang Chen, Xin Long, Haohui Tang, Guangming Shi, Liuyi Zhang, Kangyin Zhang, Fumo Yang, and Chongzhi Zhai
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-101, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-101, 2025
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Organic aerosol is a dominant component of atmospheric aerosol worldwide, and it is recognized as a key factor affecting air quality and possibly climate. We revealed the aqueous secondary organic aerosol formation and brownness from aged biomass-burning emissions and highlighted the importance of aqueous-phase reactions on air quality and climate. The aqueous secondary organic aerosol from aged biomass-burning emissions should be taken into account in air quality and climate models.
Emmanuel Chevassus, Kirsten N. Fossum, Darius Ceburnis, Lu Lei, Chunshui Lin, Wei Xu, Colin O'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4107–4129, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4107-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4107-2025, 2025
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This study presents the first source apportionment of organic aerosol at Mace Head via high-resolution mass spectrometry. Introducing transfer entropy as a novel method reveals that aged organic aerosol originates from both open-ocean ozonolysis and local peat-burning oxidation. Methanesulfonic acid and organic sea spray both mirror phytoplankton activity, with the former closely tied to coccolithophore blooms and the latter linked to diatoms, chlorophytes, and cyanobacteria.
Jackson Seymore, Miklós Szakáll, Alexander Theis, Subir K. Mitra, Christine Borchers, and Thorsten Hoffmann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1425, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1425, 2025
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Laboratory studies examined carbonyl deposition into ice crystals using a flowtube setup. Ice crystals were grown under conditions that mimic cirrus clouds in the presence of carbonyl vapors. Ice and gas samples were collected and analyzed to calculate partitioning coefficients for 14 carbonyls at different temperatures. This revealed an inverse relationship between partitioning and temperature. Vapor pressure and molar mass were found to be the most significant factors in uptake.
Mingxue Li, Men Xia, Chunshui Lin, Yifan Jiang, Weihang Sun, Yurun Wang, Yingnan Zhang, Maoxia He, and Tao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3753–3764, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3753-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3753-2025, 2025
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Our field campaigns observed a strong diel pattern of chloroacetic acid as well as a strong correlation between its level and that of reactive chlorine species at a coastal site. Using quantum chemical calculations and box model simulation with an updated Master Chemical Mechanism, we found that the formation pathway of chloroacetic acid involved multiphase processes. Our study enhances understanding of atmospheric organic chlorine chemistry and emphasizes the importance of multiphase reactions.
Jade Margerum, Julia Homann, Stuart Umbo, Gernot Nehrke, Thorsten Hoffmann, Anton Vaks, Aleksandr Kononov, Alexander Osintsev, Alena Giesche, Andrew Mason, Franziska A. Lechleitner, Gideon M. Henderson, Ola Kwiecien, and Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach
Clim. Past, 21, 661–677, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-661-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-661-2025, 2025
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We analyse a southern Siberian stalagmite to reconstruct soil respiration, wildfire, and vegetation trends during the Last Interglacial (LIG) (124.1–118.8 ka) and the Holocene (10–0 ka). Wildfires were more prevalent during the LIG than the Holocene and were supported by fire-prone species, low soil respiration, and a greater difference between summer and winter temperature. We show that vegetation type and summer/winter temperature contrast are strong drivers of Siberian wildfires.
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.
Benjamin Heutte, Nora Bergner, Hélène Angot, Jakob B. Pernov, Lubna Dada, Jessica A. Mirrielees, Ivo Beck, Andrea Baccarini, Matthew Boyer, Jessie M. Creamean, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Imad El Haddad, Markus M. Frey, Silvia Henning, Tiia Laurila, Vaios Moschos, Tuukka Petäjä, Kerri A. Pratt, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Matthew D. Shupe, Paul Zieger, Tuija Jokinen, and Julia Schmale
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2207–2241, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2207-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2207-2025, 2025
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Limited aerosol measurements in the central Arctic hinder our understanding of aerosol–climate interactions in the region. Our year-long observations of aerosol physicochemical properties during the MOSAiC expedition reveal strong seasonal variations in aerosol chemical composition, where the short-term variability is heavily affected by storms in the Arctic. Local wind-generated particles are shown to be an important source of cloud seeds, especially in autumn.
Denis Leppla, Stefanie Hildmann, Nora Zannoni, Leslie Kremper, Bruna Hollanda, Jonathan Williams, Christopher Pöhlker, Stefan Wolff, Marta Sà, Maria Cristina Solci, Ulrich Pöschl, and Thorsten Hoffmann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-141, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-141, 2025
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The chemical composition of organic particles in the Amazon rainforest was investigated to understand how biogenic and human emissions influence the atmosphere in this unique ecosystem. Seasonal patterns were found where wet seasons were dominated by biogenic compounds from natural sources while dry seasons showed increased fire-related pollutants. These findings reveal how emissions, fires and long-range transport affect atmospheric chemistry, with implications for climate models.
Lang Liu, Xin Long, Yi Li, Zengliang Zang, Fengwen Wang, Yan Han, Zhier Bao, Yang Chen, Tian Feng, and Jinxin Yang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1569–1585, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1569-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1569-2025, 2025
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This study uses WRF-Chem to assess how meteorological conditions and emission reductions affected fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the North China Plain (NCP). It highlights regional disparities: in the northern NCP, adverse weather negated emission reduction effects. In contrast, the southern NCP featured a PM2.5 decrease due to favorable weather and emission reductions. The research highlighted the interaction between emissions, meteorology, and PM2.5.
Yiliang Liu, Arttu Yli-Kujala, Fabian Schmidt-Ott, Sebastian Holm, Lauri Ahonen, Tommy Chan, Joonas Enroth, Joonas Vanhanen, Runlong Cai, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, Yang Chen, and Juha Kangasluoma
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 431–442, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-431-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-431-2025, 2025
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Accurate measurement of nanoparticles is crucial for understanding their impact on new particle formation and climate change. In this study, we calibrated the Particle Size Magnifier version 2.0 (PSM 2.0), using both laboratory-generated and atmospheric particles. Some differences were observed in the calibration results, with direct calibration using atmospheric particles enhancing measurement accuracy.
Johanna Schäfer, Anja Beschnitt, François Burgay, Thomas Singer, Margit Schwikowski, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 421–430, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-421-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-421-2025, 2025
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Glaciers preserve organic compounds from atmospheric aerosols, which can serve as markers for emission sources. Most studies overlook the enantiomers of chiral compounds. We developed a two-dimensional liquid chromatography method to determine the chiral ratios of the monoterpene oxidation products cis-pinic acid and cis-pinonic acid in ice-core samples. Applied to samples from the Belukha Glacier (1870–1970 CE), the method revealed fluctuating chiral ratios for the analytes.
Christine Borchers, Lasse Moormann, Bastien Geil, Niklas Karbach, and Thorsten Hoffmann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4015, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4015, 2025
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A three-dimensionally printed filter holder is connected to a lightweight, high-performance pump. This sampling system allows for easy and cost-effective measurements of organic aerosols at different heights and locations. By elucidating the chemical composition of organic aerosol, sources and processing of the compounds can be identified. Measurements at different altitudes and times of the day provide insight into the chemical aging and daytime trends of the aerosol particles.
Christine Borchers, Jackson Seymore, Martanda Gautam, Konstantin Dörholt, Yannik Müller, Andreas Arndt, Laura Gömmer, Florian Ungeheuer, Miklós Szakáll, Stephan Borrmann, Alexander Theis, Alexander L. Vogel, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13961–13974, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13961-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13961-2024, 2024
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Riming, a crucial process in cloud dynamics, influences the vertical distribution of compounds in the atmosphere. Experiments in Mainz's wind tunnel investigated retention coefficients of organic compounds under varying conditions. Findings suggest a correlation between the Henry's law constant and retention, applicable even to complex organic molecules.
Wei Yuan, Ru-Jin Huang, Chao Luo, Lu Yang, Wenjuan Cao, Jie Guo, and Huinan Yang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13219–13230, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13219-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13219-2024, 2024
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We characterized water-soluble oxidative potential (OP) levels in wintertime PM2.5 in the south and north of Beijing. Our results show that the volume-normalized dithiothreitol (DTTv) in the north was comparable to that in the south, while the mass-normalized dithiothreitol (DTTm) in the north was almost twice that in the south. Traffic-related emissions and biomass burning were the main sources of DTTv in the south, and traffic-related emissions contributed the most to DTTv in the north.
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.
Kirsten N. Fossum, Chunshui Lin, Niall O'Sullivan, Lu Lei, Stig Hellebust, Darius Ceburnis, Aqeel Afzal, Anja Tremper, David Green, Srishti Jain, Steigvilė Byčenkienė, Colin O'Dowd, John Wenger, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10815–10831, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10815-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10815-2024, 2024
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The chemical composition and sources of submicron aerosol in the Dublin Port area were investigated over a month-long campaign. Two distinct types of ship emissions were identified and characterised: sulfate-rich plumes from the use of heavy fuel oil with scrubbers and organic-rich plumes from the use of low-sulfur fuels. The latter were more frequent, emitting double the particle number and having a typical V / Ni ratio for ship emission.
Dandan Li, Dongyu Wang, Lucia Caudillo, Wiebke Scholz, Mingyi Wang, Sophie Tomaz, Guillaume Marie, Mihnea Surdu, Elias Eccli, Xianda Gong, Loic Gonzalez-Carracedo, Manuel Granzin, Joschka Pfeifer, Birte Rörup, Benjamin Schulze, Pekka Rantala, Sébastien Perrier, Armin Hansel, Joachim Curtius, Jasper Kirkby, Neil M. Donahue, Christian George, Imad El-Haddad, and Matthieu Riva
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5413–5428, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5413-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5413-2024, 2024
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Due to the analytical challenges of measuring organic vapors, it remains challenging to identify and quantify organic molecules present in the atmosphere. Here, we explore the performance of the Orbitrap chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CI-Orbitrap) using ammonium ion chemistry. This study shows that ammonium-ion-based chemistry associated with the high mass resolution of the Orbitrap mass analyzer can measure almost all inclusive compounds.
Xinya Liu, Diego Alves Gouveia, Bas Henzing, Arnoud Apituley, Arjan Hensen, Danielle van Dinther, Rujin Huang, and Ulrike Dusek
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9597–9614, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9597-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9597-2024, 2024
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The vertical distribution of aerosol optical properties is important for their effect on climate. This is usually measured by lidar, which has limitations, most notably the assumption of a lidar ratio. Our study shows that routine surface-level aerosol measurements are able to predict this lidar ratio reasonably well within the lower layers of the atmosphere and thus provide a relatively simple and cost-effective method to improve lidar measurements.
Niklas Karbach, Lisa Höhler, Peter Hoor, Heiko Bozem, Nicole Bobrowski, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4081–4086, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4081-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4081-2024, 2024
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The system presented here can accurately generate and reproduce a stable flow of gas mixtures of known concentrations over several days using ambient air as a dilution medium. In combination with the small size and low weight of the system, this enables the calibration of hydrogen sensors in the field, reducing the influence of matrix effects on the accuracy of the sensor. The system is inexpensive to assemble and easy to maintain, which is the key to reliable measurement results.
Jing Duan, Ru-Jin Huang, Ying Wang, Wei Xu, Haobin Zhong, Chunshui Lin, Wei Huang, Yifang Gu, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, and Colin O'Dowd
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7687–7698, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7687-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7687-2024, 2024
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The chemical composition of atmospheric particles has shown significant changes in recent years. We investigated the potential effects of changes in inorganics on aerosol water uptake and, thus, secondary organic aerosol formation in wintertime haze based on the size-resolved measurements of non-refractory fine particulate matter (NR-PM2.5) in Xi’an, northwestern China. We highlight the key role of aerosol water as a medium to link inorganics and organics in their multiphase processes.
Wenli Liu, Longkun He, Yingjun Liu, Keren Liao, Qi Chen, and Mikinori Kuwata
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5625–5636, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5625-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5625-2024, 2024
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Cooking is a major source of particles in urban areas. Previous studies demonstrated that the chemical lifetimes of cooking organic aerosols (COAs) were much shorter (~minutes) than the values reported by field observations (~hours). We conducted laboratory experiments to resolve the discrepancy by considering suppressed reactivity under low temperature. The parameterized k2–T relationships and observed surface temperature data were used to estimate the chemical lifetimes of COA particles.
Xinya Liu, Bas Henzing, Arjan Hensen, Jan Mulder, Peng Yao, Danielle van Dinther, Jerry van Bronckhorst, Rujin Huang, and Ulrike Dusek
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 3405–3420, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3405-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3405-2024, 2024
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We evaluated the time-of-flight aerosol chemical speciation monitor (TOF-ACSM) following the implementation of the PM2.5 aerodynamic lens and a capture vaporizer (CV). The results showed that it significantly improved the accuracy and precision of ACSM in the field observations. The paper elucidates the measurement outcomes of various instruments and provides an analysis of their biases. This comprehensive evaluation is expected to benefit the ACSM community and other aerosol field measurements.
Feifan Yan, Hang Su, Yafang Cheng, Rujin Huang, Hong Liao, Ting Yang, Yuanyuan Zhu, Shaoqing Zhang, Lifang Sheng, Wenbin Kou, Xinran Zeng, Shengnan Xiang, Xiaohong Yao, Huiwang Gao, and Yang Gao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2365–2376, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2365-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2365-2024, 2024
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PM2.5 pollution is a major air quality issue deteriorating human health, and previous studies mostly focus on regions like the North China Plain and Yangtze River Delta. However, the characteristics of PM2.5 concentrations between these two regions are studied less often. Focusing on the transport corridor region, we identify an interesting seesaw transport phenomenon with stagnant weather conditions, conducive to PM2.5 accumulation over this region, resulting in large health effects.
Xi Cheng, Yong Jie Li, Yan Zheng, Keren Liao, Theodore K. Koenig, Yanli Ge, Tong Zhu, Chunxiang Ye, Xinghua Qiu, and Qi Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2099–2112, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2099-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2099-2024, 2024
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In this study we conducted laboratory measurements to investigate the formation of gas-phase oxygenated organic molecules (OOMs) from six aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We provide a thorough analysis on the effects of precursor structure (substituents and ring numbers) on product distribution and highlight from a laboratory perspective that heavy (e.g., double-ring) aromatic VOCs are important in initial particle growth during secondary organic aerosol formation.
Shuzheng Guo, Chunxiang Ye, Weili Lin, Yi Chen, Limin Zeng, Xuena Yu, Jinhui Cui, Chong Zhang, Jing Duan, Haobin Zhong, Rujin Huang, Xuguang Chi, Wei Nie, and Aijun Ding
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-262, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-262, 2024
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@Tibet field campaigns 2021 discovered surprisingly high levels and activity contributions of oxygenated volatile organic compounds on the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau, which suggests that OVOCs may play a larger role in the chemical reactions that occur in high-altitude regions than previously thought.
Chen He, Hanxiong Che, Zier Bao, Yiliang Liu, Qing Li, Miao Hu, Jiawei Zhou, Shumin Zhang, Xiaojiang Yao, Quan Shi, Chunmao Chen, Yan Han, Lingshuo Meng, Xin Long, Fumo Yang, and Yang Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 1627–1639, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1627-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1627-2024, 2024
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We examined the daily evolution of high molecular-weight organic compounds with a molecular weight of up to 1000 Da in order to comprehend their behaviors in the atmosphere under actual conditions. These compounds were proven to undergo multi-generation oxidation, carboxylation, and nitrification via both day- and nighttime chemistry.
Yuquan Gong, Ru-Jin Huang, Lu Yang, Ting Wang, Wei Yuan, Wei Xu, Wenjuan Cao, Yang Wang, and Yongjie Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15197–15207, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15197-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15197-2023, 2023
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This study reveals the large day–night differences in brown carbon (BrC) chromophore composition, which was not known previously. The results provide insights into the effects of atmospheric processes and emissions on BrC composition.
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.
Zhongwei Luo, Yan Han, Kun Hua, Yufen Zhang, Jianhui Wu, Xiaohui Bi, Qili Dai, Baoshuang Liu, Yang Chen, Xin Long, and Yinchang Feng
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 6757–6771, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-6757-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-6757-2023, 2023
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This study explores how the variation in the source profiles adopted in chemical transport models (CTMs) impacts the simulated results of chemical components in PM2.5 based on sensitivity analysis. The impact on PM2.5 components cannot be ignored, and its influence can be transmitted and linked between components. The representativeness and timeliness of the source profile should be paid adequate attention in air quality simulation.
Shasha Tian, Kexin Zu, Huabin Dong, Limin Zeng, Keding Lu, and Qi Chen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5525–5535, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5525-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5525-2023, 2023
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We developed an online NH3 monitoring system based on a selective colorimetric reaction and a long-path absorption photometer (SAC-LOPAP), which can run statically for a long time and be applied to the continuous online measurement of low concentrations of ambient air by optimizing the reaction conditions, adding a constant-temperature module and liquid flow controller. It is well suited for the investigation of the NH3 budget for urban to rural conditions in China.
Taomou Zong, Zhijun Wu, Junrui Wang, Kai Bi, Wenxu Fang, Yanrong Yang, Xuena Yu, Zhier Bao, Xiangxinyue Meng, Yuheng Zhang, Song Guo, Yang Chen, Chunshan Liu, Yue Zhang, Shao-Meng Li, and Min Hu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3679–3692, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3679-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3679-2023, 2023
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This study developed and characterized an indoor chamber system (AIR) to simulate atmospheric multiphase chemistry processes. The AIR chamber can accurately control temperature and relative humidity (RH) over a broad range and simulate diurnal variation of ambient atmospheric RH. The aerosol generation unit can generate organic-coating seed particles with different phase states. The AIR chamber demonstrates high-quality performance in simulating secondary aerosol formation.
Julia Homann, Niklas Karbach, Stacy A. Carolin, Daniel H. James, David Hodell, Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach, Ola Kwiecien, Mark Brenner, Carlos Peraza Lope, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Biogeosciences, 20, 3249–3260, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3249-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3249-2023, 2023
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Cave stalagmites contain substances that can be used to reconstruct past changes in local and regional environmental conditions. We used two classes of biomarkers (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and monosaccharide anhydrides) to detect the presence of fire and to also explore changes in fire regime (e.g. fire frequency, intensity, and fuel source). We tested our new method on a stalagmite from Mayapan, a large Maya city on the Yucatán Peninsula.
Emelie L. Graham, Cheng Wu, David M. Bell, Amelie Bertrand, Sophie L. Haslett, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El Haddad, Radovan Krejci, Ilona Riipinen, and Claudia Mohr
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 7347–7362, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7347-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7347-2023, 2023
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The volatility of an aerosol particle is an important parameter for describing its atmospheric lifetime. We studied the volatility of secondary organic aerosols from nitrate-initiated oxidation of three biogenic precursors with experimental methods and model simulations. We saw higher volatility than for the corresponding ozone system, and our simulations produced variable results with different parameterizations which warrant a re-evaluation of the treatment of the nitrate functional group.
Joschka Pfeifer, Naser G. A. Mahfouz, Benjamin C. Schulze, Serge Mathot, Dominik Stolzenburg, Rima Baalbaki, Zoé Brasseur, Lucia Caudillo, Lubna Dada, Manuel Granzin, Xu-Cheng He, Houssni Lamkaddam, Brandon Lopez, Vladimir Makhmutov, Ruby Marten, Bernhard Mentler, Tatjana Müller, Antti Onnela, Maxim Philippov, Ana A. Piedehierro, Birte Rörup, Meredith Schervish, Ping Tian, Nsikanabasi S. Umo, Dongyu S. Wang, Mingyi Wang, Stefan K. Weber, André Welti, Yusheng Wu, Marcel Zauner-Wieczorek, Antonio Amorim, Imad El Haddad, Markku Kulmala, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Tuukka Petäjä, António Tomé, Sander Mirme, Hanna E. Manninen, Neil M. Donahue, Richard C. Flagan, Andreas Kürten, Joachim Curtius, and Jasper Kirkby
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6703–6718, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6703-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6703-2023, 2023
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Attachment rate coefficients between ions and charged aerosol particles determine their lifetimes and may also influence cloud dynamics and aerosol processing. Here we present novel experiments that measure ion–aerosol attachment rate coefficients for multiply charged aerosol particles under atmospheric conditions in the CERN CLOUD chamber. Our results provide experimental discrimination between various theoretical models.
Lucía Caudillo, Mihnea Surdu, Brandon Lopez, Mingyi Wang, Markus Thoma, Steffen Bräkling, Angela Buchholz, Mario Simon, Andrea C. Wagner, Tatjana Müller, Manuel Granzin, Martin Heinritzi, Antonio Amorim, David M. Bell, Zoé Brasseur, Lubna Dada, Jonathan Duplissy, Henning Finkenzeller, Xu-Cheng He, Houssni Lamkaddam, Naser G. A. Mahfouz, Vladimir Makhmutov, Hanna E. Manninen, Guillaume Marie, Ruby Marten, Roy L. Mauldin, Bernhard Mentler, Antti Onnela, Tuukka Petäjä, Joschka Pfeifer, Maxim Philippov, Ana A. Piedehierro, Birte Rörup, Wiebke Scholz, Jiali Shen, Dominik Stolzenburg, Christian Tauber, Ping Tian, António Tomé, Nsikanabasi Silas Umo, Dongyu S. Wang, Yonghong Wang, Stefan K. Weber, André Welti, Marcel Zauner-Wieczorek, Urs Baltensperger, Richard C. Flagan, Armin Hansel, Jasper Kirkby, Markku Kulmala, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Douglas R. Worsnop, Imad El Haddad, Neil M. Donahue, Alexander L. Vogel, Andreas Kürten, and Joachim Curtius
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6613–6631, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6613-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6613-2023, 2023
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In this study, we present an intercomparison of four different techniques for measuring the chemical composition of nanoparticles. The intercomparison was performed based on the observed chemical composition, calculated volatility, and analysis of the thermograms. We found that the methods generally agree on the most important compounds that are found in the nanoparticles. However, they do see different parts of the organic spectrum. We suggest potential explanations for these differences.
Yifang Gu, Ru-Jin Huang, Jing Duan, Wei Xu, Chunshui Lin, Haobin Zhong, Ying Wang, Haiyan Ni, Quan Liu, Ruiguang Xu, Litao Wang, and Yong Jie Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 5419–5433, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5419-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5419-2023, 2023
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Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) can be produced by various pathways, but its formation mechanisms are unclear. Observations were conducted in the North China Plain during a highly oxidizing atmosphere in summer. We found that fast photochemistry dominated SOA formation during daytime. Two types of aqueous-phase chemistry (nocturnal and daytime processing) take place at high relative humidity. The potential transformation from primary organic aerosol (POA) to SOA was also an important pathway.
Chunshui Lin, Ru-Jin Huang, Haobin Zhong, Jing Duan, Zixi Wang, Wei Huang, and Wei Xu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3595–3607, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3595-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3595-2023, 2023
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The complex interaction between O3 and PM2.5, coupled with the topology of the Fenwei Plain and the evolution of the boundary layer height, highlights the challenges in further reducing particulate pollution in winter despite years of efforts to reduce emissions. Through scenario analysis in a chemical box model constrained by observation, we show the co-benefits of reducing NOx and VOCs simultaneously in reducing ozone and SOA.
Huanhuan Zhang, Rui Li, Chengpeng Huang, Xiaofei Li, Shuwei Dong, Fu Wang, Tingting Li, Yizhu Chen, Guohua Zhang, Yan Ren, Qingcai Chen, Ru-jin Huang, Siyu Chen, Tao Xue, Xinming Wang, and Mingjin Tang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3543–3559, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3543-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3543-2023, 2023
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This work investigated the seasonal variation of aerosol Fe solubility for coarse and fine particles in Xi’an, a megacity in northwestern China severely affected by anthropogenic emission and desert dust aerosol. In addition, we discussed in depth what controlled aerosol Fe solubility at different seasons for coarse and fine particles.
Jing Cai, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Cheng Wu, Yan Zheng, Feixue Zheng, Wei Du, Sophie L. Haslett, Qi Chen, Markku Kulmala, and Claudia Mohr
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 1147–1165, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1147-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1147-2023, 2023
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We introduce the offline application of FIGAERO-CIMS by analyzing Teflon and quartz filter samples that were collected at a typical urban site in Beijing with the deposition time varying from 30 min to 24 h. This method provides a feasible, simple, and quantitative way to investigate the molecular composition and volatility of OA compounds by using FIGAERO-CIMS to analyze offline samples.
Zhier Bao, Xinyi Zhang, Qing Li, Jiawei Zhou, Guangming Shi, Li Zhou, Fumo Yang, Shaodong Xie, Dan Zhang, Chongzhi Zhai, Zhenliang Li, Chao Peng, and Yang Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 1147–1167, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1147-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1147-2023, 2023
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We characterised non-refractory fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during winter in the Sichuan Basin (SCB), Southwest China. The factors driving severe aerosol pollution were revealed, highlighting the importance of rapid nitrate formation and intensive biomass burning. Nitrate was primarily formed through gas-phase oxidation during daytime and aqueous-phase oxidation during nighttime. Controlling nitrate and biomass burning will benefit the mitigation of haze formation in the SCB.
Denis Leppla, Nora Zannoni, Leslie Kremper, Jonathan Williams, Christopher Pöhlker, Marta Sá, Maria Christina Solci, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 809–820, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-809-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-809-2023, 2023
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Chiral chemodiversity plays a critical role in biochemical processes such as insect and plant communication. Here we report on the measurement of chiral-specified secondary organic aerosol in the Amazon rainforest. The results show that the chiral ratio is mainly determined by large-scale emission processes. Characteristic emissions of chiral aerosol precursors from different forest ecosystems can thus provide large-scale information on different biogenic sources via chiral particle analysis.
Yunfan Liu, Hang Su, Siwen Wang, Chao Wei, Wei Tao, Mira L. Pöhlker, Christopher Pöhlker, Bruna A. Holanda, Ovid O. Krüger, Thorsten Hoffmann, Manfred Wendisch, Paulo Artaxo, Ulrich Pöschl, Meinrat O. Andreae, and Yafang Cheng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 251–272, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-251-2023, 2023
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The origins of the abundant cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the upper troposphere (UT) of the Amazon remain unclear. With model developments of new secondary organic aerosol schemes and constrained by observation, we show that strong aerosol nucleation and condensation in the UT is triggered by biogenic organics, and organic condensation is key for UT CCN production. This UT CCN-producing mechanism may prevail over broader vegetation canopies and deserves emphasis in aerosol–climate feedback.
Qian Zhang, Yujie Zhang, Zhichun Wu, Bin Zhang, Yaling Zeng, Jian Sun, Hongmei Xu, Qiyuan Wang, Zhihua Li, Junji Cao, and Zhenxing Shen
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2022-801, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2022-801, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
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We identified the brown carbon (BrC) molecules and their absorbing abilities on a molecular level from animal dung fuel combustion over the Tibetan Plateau region in China. The ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer coupled with the partial least squares regression were precisely applied to characterize the molecular absorptions, key molecular markers, and radiative effects of BrC from household combustion scenarios at the high-altitude area.
Diwei Wang, Zhenxing Shen, Qian Zhang, Yali Lei, Tian Zhang, Shasha Huang, Jian Sun, Hongmei Xu, and Junji Cao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 14893–14904, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14893-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14893-2022, 2022
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The optical properties and molecular structure of atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) in winter of several megacities in China were analyzed, and the source contribution of brown carbon was improved by using positive matrix factorization coupled with a multilayer perceptron neural network. These results can provide a basis for the more effective control of BrC to reduce its impacts on regional climates and human health.
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.
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.
Jing Duan, Ru-Jin Huang, Yifang Gu, Chunshui Lin, Haobin Zhong, Wei Xu, Quan Liu, Yan You, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, Thorsten Hoffmann, and Colin O'Dowd
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10139–10153, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10139-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10139-2022, 2022
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Biomass-burning-influenced oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA-BB), formed from the photochemical oxidation and aging of biomass burning OA (BBOA), was resolved in urban Xi’an. The aqueous-phase processed oxygenated OA (aq-OOA) concentration was more dependent on secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) content and aerosol liquid water content (ALWC). The increased aq-OOA contribution during SIA-enhanced periods likely reflects OA evolution due to the addition of alcohol or peroxide groups
Haobin Zhong, Ru-Jin Huang, Chunshui Lin, Wei Xu, Jing Duan, Yifang Gu, Wei Huang, Haiyan Ni, Chongshu Zhu, Yan You, Yunfei Wu, Renjian Zhang, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, and Colin D. O'Dowd
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 9513–9524, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9513-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9513-2022, 2022
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To investigate the physico-chemical properties of aerosol transported from major pollution regions in China, observations were conducted ~200 m above the ground at the junction location of the two key pollution areas. We found that the formation efficiency, oxidation state and production rate of secondary aerosol were different in the transport sectors from different pollution regions, and they were largely enhanced by the regional long-distance transport.
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.
Youwei Hong, Xinbei Xu, Dan Liao, Taotao Liu, Xiaoting Ji, Ke Xu, Chunyang Liao, Ting Wang, Chunshui Lin, and Jinsheng Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 7827–7841, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7827-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7827-2022, 2022
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Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) simulation remains uncertain, due to the unknown SOA formation mechanisms. Aerosol samples with a 4 h time resolution were collected, along with online measurements of aerosol chemical compositions and meteorological parameters. We found that anthropogenic emissions, atmospheric oxidation capacity and halogen chemistry have significant effects on the formation of biogenic SOA (BSOA). The findings of this study are helpful to better explore the missed SOA sources.
Minxia Shen, Kin Fai Ho, Wenting Dai, Suixin Liu, Ting Zhang, Qiyuan Wang, Jingjing Meng, Judith C. Chow, John G. Watson, Junji Cao, and Jianjun Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 7489–7504, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7489-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7489-2022, 2022
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Looking at characteristics and δ13C compositions of dicarboxylic acids and related compounds in BB aerosols, we used a combined combustion and aging system to generate fresh and aged aerosols from burning straw. The results showed the emission factors (EFaged) of total diacids of aging experiments were around an order of magnitude higher than EFfresh. This meant that dicarboxylic acids are involved with secondary photochemical processes in the atmosphere rather than primary emissions from BB.
Reza Bashiri Khuzestani, Keren Liao, Ying Liu, Ruqian Miao, Yan Zheng, Xi Cheng, Tianjiao Jia, Xin Li, Shiyi Chen, Guancong Huang, and Qi Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 7389–7404, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7389-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7389-2022, 2022
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This work characterized the spatial variabilities of air pollutants in a megacity by advanced mobile measurements. The results show a large spatial heterogeneity in the distributions of PM2.5 composition and volatile organic compounds under non-haze conditions, and relatively uniform spatial distributions under haze conditions that may indicate a chemical homogeneity on an intracity scale. The findings improve our understanding of urban air pollution.
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.
Dalrin Ampritta Amaladhasan, Claudia Heyn, Christopher R. Hoyle, Imad El Haddad, Miriam Elser, Simone M. Pieber, Jay G. Slowik, Antonio Amorim, Jonathan Duplissy, Sebastian Ehrhart, Vladimir Makhmutov, Ugo Molteni, Matti Rissanen, Yuri Stozhkov, Robert Wagner, Armin Hansel, Jasper Kirkby, Neil M. Donahue, Rainer Volkamer, Urs Baltensperger, Martin Gysel-Beer, and Andreas Zuend
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 215–244, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-215-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-215-2022, 2022
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We use a combination of models for gas-phase chemical reactions and equilibrium gas–particle partitioning of isoprene-derived secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) informed by dark ozonolysis experiments conducted in the CLOUD chamber. Our predictions cover high to low relative humidities (RHs) and quantify how SOA mass yields are enhanced at high RH as well as the impact of inorganic seeds of distinct hygroscopicities and acidities on the coupled partitioning of water and semi-volatile organics.
Lucía Caudillo, Birte Rörup, Martin Heinritzi, Guillaume Marie, Mario Simon, Andrea C. Wagner, Tatjana Müller, Manuel Granzin, Antonio Amorim, Farnoush Ataei, Rima Baalbaki, Barbara Bertozzi, Zoé Brasseur, Randall Chiu, Biwu Chu, Lubna Dada, Jonathan Duplissy, Henning Finkenzeller, Loïc Gonzalez Carracedo, Xu-Cheng He, Victoria Hofbauer, Weimeng Kong, Houssni Lamkaddam, Chuan P. Lee, Brandon Lopez, Naser G. A. Mahfouz, Vladimir Makhmutov, Hanna E. Manninen, Ruby Marten, Dario Massabò, Roy L. Mauldin, Bernhard Mentler, Ugo Molteni, Antti Onnela, Joschka Pfeifer, Maxim Philippov, Ana A. Piedehierro, Meredith Schervish, Wiebke Scholz, Benjamin Schulze, Jiali Shen, Dominik Stolzenburg, Yuri Stozhkov, Mihnea Surdu, Christian Tauber, Yee Jun Tham, Ping Tian, António Tomé, Steffen Vogt, Mingyi Wang, Dongyu S. Wang, Stefan K. Weber, André Welti, Wang Yonghong, Wu Yusheng, Marcel Zauner-Wieczorek, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El Haddad, Richard C. Flagan, Armin Hansel, Kristina Höhler, Jasper Kirkby, Markku Kulmala, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Ottmar Möhler, Harald Saathoff, Rainer Volkamer, Paul M. Winkler, Neil M. Donahue, Andreas Kürten, and Joachim Curtius
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17099–17114, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17099-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17099-2021, 2021
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We performed experiments in the CLOUD chamber at CERN at low temperatures to simulate new particle formation in the upper free troposphere (at −30 ºC and −50 ºC). We measured the particle and gas phase and found that most of the compounds present in the gas phase are detected as well in the particle phase. The major compounds in the particles are C8–10 and C18–20. Specifically, we showed that C5 and C15 compounds are detected in a mixed system with isoprene and α-pinene at −30 ºC, 20 % RH.
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.
Ruqian Miao, Qi Chen, Manish Shrivastava, Youfan Chen, Lin Zhang, Jianlin Hu, Yan Zheng, and Keren Liao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16183–16201, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16183-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16183-2021, 2021
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We apply process-based and observation-constrained schemes to simulate organic aerosol in China and conduct comprehensive model–observation comparisons. The results show that anthropogenic semivolatile and intermediate-volatility organic compounds (SVOCs and IVOCs) are the main sources of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in polluted regions, for which the residential sector is perhaps the predominant contributor. The hydroxyl radical level is also important for SOA modeling in polluted regions.
Chunshui Lin, Darius Ceburnis, Anna Trubetskaya, Wei Xu, William Smith, Stig Hellebust, John Wenger, Colin O'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6905–6916, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6905-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6905-2021, 2021
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Source apportionment of solid-fuel-burning emissions can be complicated by the use of different fuels, stoves, and burning conditions. Here, the organic aerosol mass spectra produced from burning a range of solid fuels in several stoves were compared. This study accounts for the source variability and provides better constraints on the primary factor contributions to the ambient organic aerosol estimations, holding significant implications for public health and policymakers.
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.
Alexandra Gutmann, Nicole Bobrowski, Marcello Liotta, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6395–6406, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6395-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6395-2021, 2021
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Motivated by a special interest in bromine chemistry in volcanic plumes, the study presented here describes a new method for the quantitative collection of gaseous hydrogen bromide in gas diffusion denuders. The hydrogen bromide reacted during sampling with appropriate epoxides applied to the denuder walls. The denuder sampling assembly was successfully deployed in the volcanic plume of Masaya volcano, Nicaragua.
Mao Xiao, Christopher R. Hoyle, Lubna Dada, Dominik Stolzenburg, Andreas Kürten, Mingyi Wang, Houssni Lamkaddam, Olga Garmash, Bernhard Mentler, Ugo Molteni, Andrea Baccarini, Mario Simon, Xu-Cheng He, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Lauri R. Ahonen, Rima Baalbaki, Paulus S. Bauer, Lisa Beck, David Bell, Federico Bianchi, Sophia Brilke, Dexian Chen, Randall Chiu, António Dias, Jonathan Duplissy, Henning Finkenzeller, Hamish Gordon, Victoria Hofbauer, Changhyuk Kim, Theodore K. Koenig, Janne Lampilahti, Chuan Ping Lee, Zijun Li, Huajun Mai, Vladimir Makhmutov, Hanna E. Manninen, Ruby Marten, Serge Mathot, Roy L. Mauldin, Wei Nie, Antti Onnela, Eva Partoll, Tuukka Petäjä, Joschka Pfeifer, Veronika Pospisilova, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Matti Rissanen, Siegfried Schobesberger, Simone Schuchmann, Yuri Stozhkov, Christian Tauber, Yee Jun Tham, António Tomé, Miguel Vazquez-Pufleau, Andrea C. Wagner, Robert Wagner, Yonghong Wang, Lena Weitz, Daniela Wimmer, Yusheng Wu, Chao Yan, Penglin Ye, Qing Ye, Qiaozhi Zha, Xueqin Zhou, Antonio Amorim, Ken Carslaw, Joachim Curtius, Armin Hansel, Rainer Volkamer, Paul M. Winkler, Richard C. Flagan, Markku Kulmala, Douglas R. Worsnop, Jasper Kirkby, Neil M. Donahue, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El Haddad, and Josef Dommen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14275–14291, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14275-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14275-2021, 2021
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Experiments at CLOUD show that in polluted environments new particle formation (NPF) is largely driven by the formation of sulfuric acid–base clusters, stabilized by amines, high ammonia concentrations or lower temperatures. While oxidation products of aromatics can nucleate, they play a minor role in urban NPF. Our experiments span 4 orders of magnitude variation of observed NPF rates in ambient conditions. We provide a framework based on NPF and growth rates to interpret ambient observations.
Chuan Ping Lee, Mihnea Surdu, David M. Bell, Houssni Lamkaddam, Mingyi Wang, Farnoush Ataei, Victoria Hofbauer, Brandon Lopez, Neil M. Donahue, Josef Dommen, Andre S. H. Prevot, Jay G. Slowik, Dongyu Wang, Urs Baltensperger, and Imad El Haddad
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5913–5923, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5913-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5913-2021, 2021
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Extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS) has been deployed for high throughput online detection of particles with minimal fragmentation. Our study elucidates the extraction mechanism between the particles and electrospray (ES) droplets of different properties. The results show that the extraction rate is likely affected by the coagulation rate between the particles and ES droplets. Once coagulated, the particles undergo complete extraction within the ES droplet.
Vaios Moschos, Martin Gysel-Beer, Robin L. Modini, Joel C. Corbin, Dario Massabò, Camilla Costa, Silvia G. Danelli, Athanasia Vlachou, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Sönke Szidat, Paolo Prati, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, and Imad El Haddad
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12809–12833, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12809-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12809-2021, 2021
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This study provides a holistic approach to studying the spectrally resolved light absorption by atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) and black carbon using long time series of daily samples from filter-based measurements. The obtained results provide (1) a better understanding of the aerosol absorption profile and its dependence on BrC and on lensing from less absorbing coatings and (2) an estimation of the most important absorbers at typical European locations.
Xi Cheng, Qi Chen, Yong Jie Li, Yan Zheng, Keren Liao, and Guancong Huang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12005–12019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12005-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12005-2021, 2021
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In this study, we conducted laboratory studies to investigate the formation of gas-phase highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs). We provide a thorough analysis on the importance of multistep auto-oxidation and multigeneration OH reactions. We also give an intensive investigation on the roles of high-NO2 conditions that represent a wide range of anthropogenically influenced environments.
Haijie Tong, Fobang Liu, Alexander Filippi, Jake Wilson, Andrea M. Arangio, Yun Zhang, Siyao Yue, Steven Lelieveld, Fangxia Shen, Helmi-Marja K. Keskinen, Jing Li, Haoxuan Chen, Ting Zhang, Thorsten Hoffmann, Pingqing Fu, William H. Brune, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, Maosheng Yao, Thomas Berkemeier, Manabu Shiraiwa, and Ulrich Pöschl
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10439–10455, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10439-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10439-2021, 2021
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We measured radical yields of aqueous PM2.5 extracts and found lower yields at higher concentrations of PM2.5. Abundances of water-soluble transition metals and aromatics in PM2.5 were positively correlated with the relative fraction of •OH but negatively correlated with the relative fraction of C-centered radicals among detected radicals. Composition-dependent reactive species yields may explain differences in the reactivity and health effects of PM2.5 in clean versus polluted air.
Amir Yazdani, Nikunj Dudani, Satoshi Takahama, Amelie Bertrand, André S. H. Prévôt, Imad El Haddad, and Ann M. Dillner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10273–10293, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10273-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10273-2021, 2021
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Functional group compositions of primary and aged aerosols from wood burning and coal combustion sources from chamber experiments are interpreted through compounds present in the fuels and known gas-phase oxidation products. Infrared spectra of aged wood burning in the chamber and ambient biomass burning samples reveal striking similarities, and a new method for identifying burning-impacted samples in monitoring network measurements is presented.
Yandong Tong, Veronika Pospisilova, Lu Qi, Jing Duan, Yifang Gu, Varun Kumar, Pragati Rai, Giulia Stefenelli, Liwei Wang, Ying Wang, Haobin Zhong, Urs Baltensperger, Junji Cao, Ru-Jin Huang, André S. H. Prévôt, and Jay G. Slowik
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9859–9886, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9859-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9859-2021, 2021
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We investigate SOA sources and formation processes by a field deployment of the EESI-TOF-MS and L-TOF AMS in Beijing in late autumn and early winter. Our study shows that the sources and processes giving rise to haze events in Beijing are variable and seasonally dependent: (1) in the heating season, SOA formation is driven by oxidation of aromatics from solid fuel combustion; and (2) under high-NOx and RH conditions, aqueous-phase chemistry can be a major contributor to SOA formation.
Xu Feng, Haipeng Lin, Tzung-May Fu, Melissa P. Sulprizio, Jiawei Zhuang, Daniel J. Jacob, Heng Tian, Yaping Ma, Lijuan Zhang, Xiaolin Wang, Qi Chen, and Zhiwei Han
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 3741–3768, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-3741-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-3741-2021, 2021
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WRF-GC is an online coupling of the WRF meteorological model and GEOS-Chem chemical transport model for regional atmospheric chemistry and air quality modeling. In WRF-GC v2.0, we implemented the aerosol–radiation interactions and aerosol–cloud interactions, as well as the capability to nest multiple domains for high-resolution simulations based on the modular framework of WRF-GC v1.0. This allows the GEOS-Chem users to investigate the meteorology–atmospheric chemistry interactions.
Kai Wang, Ru-Jin Huang, Martin Brüggemann, Yun Zhang, Lu Yang, Haiyan Ni, Jie Guo, Meng Wang, Jiajun Han, Merete Bilde, Marianne Glasius, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9089–9104, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9089-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9089-2021, 2021
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Here we present the detailed molecular composition of the organic aerosol collected in three eastern Chinese cities from north to south, Changchun, Shanghai and Guangzhou, by applying LC–Orbitrap analysis. Accordingly, the aromaticity degree of chemical compounds decreases from north to south, while the oxidation degree increases from north to south, which can be explained by the different anthropogenic emissions and photochemical oxidation processes.
Bo Galle, Santiago Arellano, Nicole Bobrowski, Vladimir Conde, Tobias P. Fischer, Gustav Gerdes, Alexandra Gutmann, Thorsten Hoffmann, Ima Itikarai, Tomas Krejci, Emma J. Liu, Kila Mulina, Scott Nowicki, Tom Richardson, Julian Rüdiger, Kieran Wood, and Jiazhi Xu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4255–4277, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4255-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4255-2021, 2021
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Measurements of volcanic gases are important for geophysical research, risk assessment and environmental impact studies. Some gases, like SO2 and BrO, may be studied from the ground at a safe distance using remote sensing techniques. Many other gases require in situ access to the gas plume. Here, a drone may be an attractive alternative. This paper describes a drone specially adapted for volcanic gas studies and demonstrates its use in a field campaign at Manam volcano in Papua New Guinea.
Wei Xu, Kirsten N. Fossum, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Chunshui Lin, Ru-Jin Huang, Colin O'Dowd, and Darius Ceburnis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 8655–8675, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8655-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8655-2021, 2021
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Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) are an important topic in atmospheric studies, especially for evaluating the climate impact of aerosol. Here in this study, CCN closure is studied by using chemical composition based on an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and hygroscopicity growth measurements based on a humidified tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) at the Mace Head atmospheric research station.
Chao Peng, Patricia N. Razafindrambinina, Kotiba A. Malek, Lanxiadi Chen, Weigang Wang, Ru-Jin Huang, Yuqing Zhang, Xiang Ding, Maofa Ge, Xinming Wang, Akua A. Asa-Awuku, and Mingjin Tang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7135–7148, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7135-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7135-2021, 2021
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Organosulfates are important constituents in tropospheric aerosol particles, but their hygroscopic properties and cloud condensation nuclei activities are not well understood. In our work, three complementary techniques were employed to investigate the interactions of 11 organosulfates with water vapor under sub- and supersaturated conditions.
Inken Heidke, Adam Hartland, Denis Scholz, Andrew Pearson, John Hellstrom, Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Biogeosciences, 18, 2289–2300, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2289-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2289-2021, 2021
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We analyzed lignin oxidation products (LOPs) in leaf litter and different soil horizons as well as dripwater and flowstone samples from four different cave sites from different vegetation zones in New Zealand using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. We test whether the original source-dependent LOP signal of the overlying vegetation is preserved and can be recovered from flowstone samples and investigate how the signal is altered by the transport from the soil to the cave.
Mengdi Song, Xin Li, Suding Yang, Xuena Yu, Songxiu Zhou, Yiming Yang, Shiyi Chen, Huabin Dong, Keren Liao, Qi Chen, Keding Lu, Ningning Zhang, Junji Cao, Limin Zeng, and Yuanhang Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 4939–4958, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4939-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4939-2021, 2021
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Due to their lower diffusion capacities and higher conversion capacities, urban areas in Xi’an experienced severe ozone pollution in the summer. In this study, a campaign of comprehensive field observations and VOC grid sampling was conducted in Xi’an from 20 June to 20 July 2019. We found that Xi'an has a strong local emission source of VOCs, and vehicle exhaust was the primary VOC source. In addition, alkenes, aromatics, and oxygenated VOCs played a dominant role in secondary transformations.
Jianhui Jiang, Imad El Haddad, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Giulia Stefenelli, Amelie Bertrand, Nicolas Marchand, Francesco Canonaco, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Favez, Stefania Gilardoni, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 1681–1697, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1681-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1681-2021, 2021
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We developed a box model with a volatility basis set to simulate organic aerosol (OA) from biomass burning and optimized the vapor-wall-loss-corrected OA yields with a genetic algorithm. The optimized parameterizations were then implemented in the air quality model CAMx v6.5. Comparisons with ambient measurements indicate that the vapor-wall-loss-corrected parameterization effectively improves the model performance in predicting OA, which reduced the mean fractional bias from −72.9 % to −1.6 %.
Wei Yuan, Ru-Jin Huang, Lu Yang, Ting Wang, Jing Duan, Jie Guo, Haiyan Ni, Yang Chen, Qi Chen, Yongjie Li, Ulrike Dusek, Colin O'Dowd, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 3685–3697, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3685-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3685-2021, 2021
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We characterized the seasonal variations in nitrated aromatic compounds (NACs) in composition, sources, and their light absorption contribution to brown carbon (BrC) aerosol in Xi'an, Northwest China. Our results show that secondary formation and vehicular emission were dominant sources in summer (~80 %), and biomass burning and coal combustion were major sources in winter (~75 %), and they indicate that the composition and sources of NACs have a profound impact on the light absorption of BrC
Julian Rüdiger, Alexandra Gutmann, Nicole Bobrowski, Marcello Liotta, J. Maarten de Moor, Rolf Sander, Florian Dinger, Jan-Lukas Tirpitz, Martha Ibarra, Armando Saballos, María Martínez, Elvis Mendoza, Arnoldo Ferrufino, John Stix, Juan Valdés, Jonathan M. Castro, and Thorsten Hoffmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 3371–3393, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3371-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3371-2021, 2021
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We present an innovative approach to study halogen chemistry in the plume of Masaya volcano in Nicaragua. An unique data set was collected using multiple techniques, including drones. These data enabled us to determine the fraction of activation of the respective halogens at various plume ages, where in-mixing of ambient air causes chemical reactions. An atmospheric chemistry box model was employed to further examine the field results and help our understanding of volcanic plume chemistry.
Francesco Canonaco, Anna Tobler, Gang Chen, Yulia Sosedova, Jay Gates Slowik, Carlo Bozzetti, Kaspar Rudolf Daellenbach, Imad El Haddad, Monica Crippa, Ru-Jin Huang, Markus Furger, Urs Baltensperger, and André Stephan Henry Prévôt
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 923–943, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-923-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-923-2021, 2021
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Long-term ambient aerosol mass spectrometric data were analyzed with a statistical model (PMF) to obtain source contributions and fingerprints. The new aspects of this paper involve time-dependent source fingerprints by a rolling technique and the replacement of the full visual inspection of each run by a user-defined set of criteria to monitor the quality of each of these runs more efficiently. More reliable sources will finally provide better instruments for political mitigation strategies.
Huikun Liu, Qiyuan Wang, Li Xing, Yong Zhang, Ting Zhang, Weikang Ran, and Junji Cao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 973–987, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-973-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-973-2021, 2021
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We conducted black carbon (BC) source apportionment on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) by an improved aethalometer model with the site-dependent Ångström exponent and BC mass absorption cross section (MAC). The result shows that the biomass-burning BC on the TP is slightly higher than fossil fuel BC, mainly from cross-border transportation instead of the local region, and the BC radiative effect is lower than that in the southwestern Himalaya but higher than that on the northeastern TP.
Pragati Rai, Jay G. Slowik, Markus Furger, Imad El Haddad, Suzanne Visser, Yandong Tong, Atinderpal Singh, Günther Wehrle, Varun Kumar, Anna K. Tobler, Deepika Bhattu, Liwei Wang, Dilip Ganguly, Neeraj Rastogi, Ru-Jin Huang, Jaroslaw Necki, Junji Cao, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 717–730, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-717-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-717-2021, 2021
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We present a simple conceptual framework based on elemental size distributions and enrichment factors that allows for a characterization of major sources, site-to-site similarities, and local differences and the identification of key information required for efficient policy development. Absolute concentrations are by far the highest in Delhi, followed by Beijing, and then the European cities.
Haiyan Ni, Ru-Jin Huang, Max M. Cosijn, Lu Yang, Jie Guo, Junji Cao, and Ulrike Dusek
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 16041–16053, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-16041-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-16041-2020, 2020
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We investigated sources of carbonaceous aerosols in Beijing and Xi'an during severe winter haze. Elemental carbon (EC) was dominated by vehicle emissions in Xi’an and coal burning in Beijing. Organic carbon (OC) increment during haze days was driven by the increase in primary and secondary OC (SOC). SOC was more from fossil sources in Beijing than Xi’an, especially during haze days. In Xi’an, no strong day–night differences in EC or OC sources suggest a large accumulation of particles.
Qiyuan Wang, Huikun Liu, Ping Wang, Wenting Dai, Ting Zhang, Youzhi Zhao, Jie Tian, Wenyan Zhang, Yongming Han, and Junji Cao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 15537–15549, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15537-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15537-2020, 2020
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Light-absorbing carbonaceous (LAC) aerosol is an important influencing factor for global climate forcing. In this study, we used a receptor model coupling multi-wavelength absorption with chemical species to explore the source-specific LAC optical properties at a tropical marine monsoon climate zone. The results can improve our understanding of the LAC radiative effects caused by ship emissions.
Qiyuan Wang, Li Li, Jiamao Zhou, Jianhuai Ye, Wenting Dai, Huikun Liu, Yong Zhang, Renjian Zhang, Jie Tian, Yang Chen, Yunfei Wu, Weikang Ran, and Junji Cao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 15427–15442, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15427-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15427-2020, 2020
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Recently, China has promulgated a series of regulations to reduce air pollutants. The decreased black carbon (BC) and co-emitted pollutants could affect the interactions between BC and other aerosols, which in turn results in changes in BC. Herein, we re-assessed the characteristics of BC of a representative pollution site in northern China in the final year of the Chinese
Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution.
Jingsha Xu, Shaojie Song, Roy M. Harrison, Congbo Song, Lianfang Wei, Qiang Zhang, Yele Sun, Lu Lei, Chao Zhang, Xiaohong Yao, Dihui Chen, Weijun Li, Miaomiao Wu, Hezhong Tian, Lining Luo, Shengrui Tong, Weiran Li, Junling Wang, Guoliang Shi, Yanqi Huangfu, Yingze Tian, Baozhu Ge, Shaoli Su, Chao Peng, Yang Chen, Fumo Yang, Aleksandra Mihajlidi-Zelić, Dragana Đorđević, Stefan J. Swift, Imogen Andrews, Jacqueline F. Hamilton, Ye Sun, Agung Kramawijaya, Jinxiu Han, Supattarachai Saksakulkrai, Clarissa Baldo, Siqi Hou, Feixue Zheng, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Chao Yan, Yongchun Liu, Markku Kulmala, Pingqing Fu, and Zongbo Shi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6325–6341, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6325-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6325-2020, 2020
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An interlaboratory comparison was conducted for the first time to examine differences in water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) measured by 10 labs using ion chromatography (IC) and by two online aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) methods. Major ions including SO42−, NO3− and NH4+ agreed well in 10 IC labs and correlated well with ACSM data. WSII interlab variability strongly affected aerosol acidity results based on ion balance, but aerosol pH computed by ISORROPIA II was very similar.
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Short summary
The analytical performances of SE-GC-MS and TD-GC-MS for the determination of n-alkanes, PAHs and hopanes were evaluated and compared. The two methods show a good agreement with a high correlation efficient (R2 > 0.98) and a slope close to unity. The concentrations of n-alkanes, PAHs and hopanes are found to be much higher in Beijing than those in Chengdu, Shanghai and Guangzhou, most likely due to emissions from coal combustion for wintertime heating in Beijing.
The analytical performances of SE-GC-MS and TD-GC-MS for the determination of n-alkanes, PAHs...