Articles | Volume 14, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3217-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3217-2021
Research article
 | 
03 May 2021
Research article |  | 03 May 2021

Intercomparison of thermal–optical carbon measurements by Sunset and Desert Research Institute (DRI) analyzers using the IMPROVE_A protocol

Xiaolu Zhang, Krystyna Trzepla, Warren White, Sean Raffuse, and Nicole Pauly Hyslop

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Cited articles

Ammerlaan, B. A. J., Jedynska, A. D., Henzing, J. S., and Holzinger, R.: On a possible bias in elemental carbon measurements with the Sunset thermal/optical carbon analyser caused by unstable laser signal, Atmos. Environ., 122, 571–576, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.09.076, 2015. 
Birch, M. E. and Cary, R. A.: Elemental Carbon-Based Method for Monitoring Occupational Exposures to Particulate Diesel Exhaust, Aerosol Sci. Tech., 25, 221–241, https://doi.org/10.1080/02786829608965393, 1996. 
Cavalli, F., Viana, M., Yttri, K. E., Genberg, J., and Putaud, J.-P.: Toward a standardised thermal-optical protocol for measuring atmospheric organic and elemental carbon: the EUSAAR protocol, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 3, 79–89, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-3-79-2010, 2010. 
Chan, T. W., Huang, L., Banwait, K., Zhang, W., Ernst, D., Wang, X., Watson, J. G., Chow, J. C., Green, M., Czimczik, C. I., Santos, G. M., Sharma, S., and Jones, K.: Inter-comparison of elemental and organic carbon mass measurements from three North American national long-term monitoring networks at a co-located site, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 4543–4560, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4543-2019, 2019. 
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Short summary
Three models of carbon analyzer were used in the past decade to measure carbonaceous particles from samples collected within the Chemical Speciation Network. This study compares results from these analyzer models to investigate the impact on long-term data from instrument differences. Good agreement was found among the three models for total carbon, organic carbon, and elemental carbon, while the reasons for and implications of some notable differences in their subtractions are investigated.