Articles | Volume 14, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1379-2021
© Author(s) 2021. 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-14-1379-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Feb 2021
Research article |
| 23 Feb 2021
| 23 Feb 2021
Comparison of co-located refractory black carbon (rBC) and elemental carbon (EC) mass concentration measurements during field campaigns at several European sites
Rosaria E. Pileci
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI),
5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI),
5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Michele Bertò
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI),
5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Jinfeng Yuan
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI),
5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Joel C. Corbin
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI),
5232 Villigen, Switzerland
now at: Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council
Canada, Ottawa K1A 0R6, Canada
Angela Marinoni
Institute of Atmospheric Science and Climate, Italian National Research Council (CNR-ISAC), via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Bas Henzing
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 3584
Utrecht, the Netherlands
Marcel M. Moerman
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 3584
Utrecht, the Netherlands
Jean P. Putaud
Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission, 21027 Ispra, Italy
Gerald Spindler
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Birgit Wehner
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Thomas Müller
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Thomas Tuch
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Arianna Trentini
Regional Agency for Prevention, Environment and Energy,
Emilia–Romagna, 40122, Bologna, Italy
Marco Zanatta
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine
Research, 27515 Bremerhaven, Germany
Urs Baltensperger
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI),
5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI),
5232 Villigen, Switzerland
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27 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A systematic review of the variability of freshly-emitted and aged black carbon based on various measurement techniques B. Wu et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177872
- A Validity Analysis for Refractory Black Carbon Observations Data Using Cosine Similarity Method During the 2021 Yellow Sea - Air Quality Campaign H. Yoo et al. 10.5572/KOSAE.2022.38.6.906
- Oxidative potential of fine particulate matter emitted from traditional and improved biomass cookstoves B. Isenor et al. 10.1039/D3EA00135K
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- African biomass burning affects aerosol cycling over the Amazon B. Holanda et al. 10.1038/s43247-023-00795-5
- Intercomparison of equivalent black carbon (eBC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations with three-year continuous measurement in Beijing, China X. Liu et al. 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112791
- Atomic spectrometry update – a review of advances in environmental analysis J. Bacon et al. 10.1039/D1JA90054D
- Technical note: Towards a stronger observational support for haze pollution control by interpreting carbonaceous aerosol results derived from different measurement approaches Y. Cheng et al. 10.5194/acp-25-8493-2025
- Mass absorption cross-section and absorption enhancement from long term black and elemental carbon measurements: A rural background station in Central Europe S. Mbengue et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148365
- Measurement report: Black carbon properties and concentrations in southern Sweden urban and rural air – the importance of long-range transport E. Ahlberg et al. 10.5194/acp-23-3051-2023
- The density of ambient black carbon retrieved by a new method: implications for cloud condensation nuclei prediction J. Ren et al. 10.5194/acp-23-4327-2023
- Microphysical properties of refractory black carbon aerosols for different air masses at a central European background site Y. Yang et al. 10.5194/acp-25-8637-2025
- Overview of methods to characterize the mass, size, and morphology of soot T. Sipkens et al. 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2023.106211
- Estimates of mass absorption cross sections of black carbon for filter-based absorption photometers in the Arctic S. Ohata et al. 10.5194/amt-14-6723-2021
- Climate-relevant properties of black carbon aerosols revealed by in situ measurements: a review N. Moteki 10.1186/s40645-023-00544-4
- Technical note: Reconstructing missing surface aerosol elemental carbon data in long-term series with ensemble learning Q. Meng et al. 10.5194/acp-25-7485-2025
- A 2-year intercomparison of three methods for measuring black carbon concentration at a high-altitude research station in Europe S. Tinorua et al. 10.5194/amt-17-3897-2024
- Characteristics of PM2.5 emitted from the combustion of vehicular fuel and solid biomass: Thermally fractionated carbon, δ13C values, and filter-based light absorption S. Samiksha et al. 10.1016/j.apr.2022.101443
- Exploring the sources of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols by integrating observational and modeling results: insights from Northeast China Y. Cheng et al. 10.5194/acp-24-9869-2024
- Black carbon aerosol reductions during COVID-19 confinement quantified by aircraft measurements over Europe O. Krüger et al. 10.5194/acp-22-8683-2022
- Long-term analysis of carbonaceous fractions of particulate at a Central Mediterranean site in Italy E. Merico et al. 10.1016/j.apr.2025.102668
- Morphological and optical properties of carbonaceous aerosol particles from ship emissions and biomass burning during a summer cruise measurement in the South China Sea C. Sun et al. 10.5194/acp-24-3043-2024
- Comparison of the LEO and CPMA-SP2 techniques for black-carbon mixing-state measurements A. Naseri et al. 10.5194/amt-17-3719-2024
- The Measurement of Atmospheric Black Carbon: A Review Z. Zhang et al. 10.3390/toxics11120975
- Recommendations for reporting equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentrations based on long-term pan-European in-situ observations M. Savadkoohi et al. 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108553
- Aerosol physical characterization: A review on the current state of aerosol documentary standards and calibration strategies K. Vasilatou et al. 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2024.106483
3 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Variability in the mass absorption cross section of black carbon (BC) aerosols is driven by BC internal mixing state at a central European background site (Melpitz, Germany) in winter J. Yuan et al. 10.5194/acp-21-635-2021
- Comparison of co-located refractory black carbon (rBC) and elemental carbon (EC) mass concentration measurements during field campaigns at several European sites R. Pileci et al. 10.5194/amt-14-1379-2021
- Detailed characterization of the CAPS single-scattering albedo monitor (CAPS PMssa) as a field-deployable instrument for measuring aerosol light absorption with the extinction-minus-scattering method R. Modini et al. 10.5194/amt-14-819-2021
Latest update: 08 Sep 2025
Short summary
Black carbon (BC), which is an important constituent of atmospheric aerosols, remains difficult to quantify due to various limitations of available methods. This study provides an extensive comparison of co-located field measurements, applying two methods based on different principles. It was shown that both methods indeed quantify the same aerosol property – BC mass concentration. The level of agreement that can be expected was quantified, and some reasons for discrepancy were identified.
Black carbon (BC), which is an important constituent of atmospheric aerosols, remains difficult...
