Articles | Volume 17, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1363-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-17-1363-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
29 Feb 2024
Research article |
| 29 Feb 2024
| 29 Feb 2024
A new software toolkit for optical apportionment of carbonaceous aerosol
Tommaso Isolabella
Physics Department, University of Genoa, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Genoa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), 16146 Genoa, Italy
Vera Bernardoni
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Milan Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), 20133 Milan, Italy
Alessandro Bigi
Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
Marco Brunoldi
Physics Department, University of Genoa, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Genoa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), 16146 Genoa, Italy
Federico Mazzei
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Physics Department, University of Genoa, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Genoa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), 16146 Genoa, Italy
Franco Parodi
Genoa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), 16146 Genoa, Italy
Paolo Prati
Physics Department, University of Genoa, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Genoa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), 16146 Genoa, Italy
Virginia Vernocchi
Genoa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), 16146 Genoa, Italy
Dario Massabò
Physics Department, University of Genoa, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Genoa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), 16146 Genoa, Italy
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Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3917–3931, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3917-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3917-2024, 2024
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This study examined the transferability of machine learning calibration models among low-cost sensor units targeting NO2 and NO. The global models were evaluated under similar and different emission conditions. To counter cross-sensitivity, the study proposed integrating O3 measurements from nearby reference stations, in Switzerland. The models show substantial improvement when O3 measurements are incorporated, which is more pronounced when in regions with elevated O3 concentrations.
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14841–14869, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14841-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14841-2023, 2023
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Virginia Vernocchi, Elena Abd El, Marco Brunoldi, Silvia Giulia Danelli, Elena Gatta, Tommaso Isolabella, Federico Mazzei, Franco Parodi, Paolo Prati, and Dario Massabò
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5479–5493, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5479-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5479-2023, 2023
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Virginia Vernocchi, Marco Brunoldi, Silvia G. Danelli, Franco Parodi, Paolo Prati, and Dario Massabò
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An instrument-dependent wavelength-independent parameter (C) is often used to face multiple-scattering issues affecting aerosol light absorption measurements by Aethalometers. Instead, we determined multi-wavelength C by comparison with absorption measurements of samples collected in parallel performed by an instrument developed in-house. Considering C wavelength dependence, harmonized results were obtained applying source and component apportionment models to data from different Aethalometers.
Martine Collaud Coen, Elisabeth Andrews, Alessandro Bigi, Giovanni Martucci, Gonzague Romanens, Frédéric P. A. Vogt, and Laurent Vuilleumier
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6945–6964, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6945-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6945-2020, 2020
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The Mann–Kendall trend test requires prewhitening in the presence of serially correlated data. The effects of five prewhitening methods and time granularity, autocorrelation, temporal segmentation and length of the time series on the statistical significance and the slope are studies for seven atmospheric datasets. Finally, a new algorithm using three prewhitening methods is proposed in order to optimize the power of the test, the amount of erroneous false positive trends and the slope estimate.
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Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 4353–4392, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4353-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4353-2020, 2020
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Giovanni Baccolo, Edyta Łokas, Paweł Gaca, Dario Massabò, Roberto Ambrosini, Roberto S. Azzoni, Caroline Clason, Biagio Di Mauro, Andrea Franzetti, Massimiliano Nastasi, Michele Prata, Paolo Prati, Ezio Previtali, Barbara Delmonte, and Valter Maggi
The Cryosphere, 14, 657–672, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-657-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-657-2020, 2020
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Cryoconite is the sediment found on the surface of glaciers. The paper presents cryoconite as an environmental matrix able to accumulate natural and artificial radioactivity with unprecedented efficiency. Only samples from sites where nuclear accidents and explosions occurred present a stronger radioactive contamination. The peculiarities of glacial environments are responsible for this extreme feature, making cryoconite a useful tool tool for the monitoring of environmental radioactivity.
Alice Corina Forello, Vera Bernardoni, Giulia Calzolai, Franco Lucarelli, Dario Massabò, Silvia Nava, Rosaria Erika Pileci, Paolo Prati, Sara Valentini, Gianluigi Valli, and Roberta Vecchi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 11235–11252, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11235-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11235-2019, 2019
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A new approach coupling aerosol chemical and optical properties in one source apportionment study is proposed. Besides a more robust identification of sources, it was possible to retrieve a source-specific absorption Ångström exponent and a mass absorption cross section at different wavelengths as well as optical apportionment. This piece of information can be very useful for formulating strategies for pollutant abatement to improve air quality and to face climate challenges.
Marc D. Mallet, Barbara D'Anna, Aurélie Même, Maria Chiara Bove, Federico Cassola, Giandomenico Pace, Karine Desboeufs, Claudia Di Biagio, Jean-Francois Doussin, Michel Maille, Dario Massabò, Jean Sciare, Pascal Zapf, Alcide Giorgio di Sarra, and Paola Formenti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 11123–11142, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11123-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11123-2019, 2019
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We present findings from a summertime field campaign at the remote island of Lampedusa in the central Mediterranean Sea. We show that the aerosol loading is similar to coastal sites around the Mediterranean. We observe higher loadings of sulfate and aged organic aerosol from air masses transported over the central and eastern Mediterranean in comparison to those from the western Mediterranean. These results highlight the rarity of pristine air masses, even in remote marine environments.
Dario Massabò, Alessandro Altomari, Virginia Vernocchi, and Paolo Prati
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 3173–3182, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3173-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3173-2019, 2019
Nivedita K. Kumar, Joel C. Corbin, Emily A. Bruns, Dario Massabó, Jay G. Slowik, Luka Drinovec, Griša Močnik, Paolo Prati, Athanasia Vlachou, Urs Baltensperger, Martin Gysel, Imad El-Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17843–17861, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17843-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17843-2018, 2018
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It is clear that considerable uncertainties still exist in understanding the magnitude of aerosol absorption on a global scale and its contribution to global warming. This manuscript provides a comprehensive assessment of the optical absorption by organic aerosols (brown carbon) from residential wood combustion as a function of atmospheric aging.
Dario Massabò, Silvia Giulia Danelli, Paolo Brotto, Antonio Comite, Camilla Costa, Andrea Di Cesare, Jean François Doussin, Federico Ferraro, Paola Formenti, Elena Gatta, Laura Negretti, Maddalena Oliva, Franco Parodi, Luigi Vezzulli, and Paolo Prati
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5885–5900, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5885-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5885-2018, 2018
Alessandro Bigi, Michael Mueller, Stuart K. Grange, Grazia Ghermandi, and Christoph Hueglin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 3717–3735, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-3717-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-3717-2018, 2018
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Low cost sensors for monitoring atmospheric pollution are growing in popularity worldwide. Nonetheless, the expectations from these devices were seldom met, thus urging for more research. This study focuses on sensor performance within the realistic framework of an initial calibration next to a reference instrument and the subsequent distant deployment. Within this framework, we assessed the uncertainty of these sensors and their suitability to map intra-urban gradients of NO/NO2.
Biagio Di Mauro, Giovanni Baccolo, Roberto Garzonio, Claudia Giardino, Dario Massabò, Andrea Piazzalunga, Micol Rossini, and Roberto Colombo
The Cryosphere, 11, 2393–2409, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2393-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2393-2017, 2017
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In the paper, we demonstrate the potential of field and satellite hyperspectral reflectance data in characterizing the spatial distribution of impurities on the Morteratsch Glacier. In situ reflectance spectra showed that impurities reduced ice reflectance in visible wavelengths by 80–90 %. Satellite data also showed the outcropping of dust during the melting season in the upper parts of the glacier. Laboratory measurements of cryoconite showed the presence of elemental and organic carbon.
Lorenzo Caponi, Paola Formenti, Dario Massabó, Claudia Di Biagio, Mathieu Cazaunau, Edouard Pangui, Servanne Chevaillier, Gautier Landrot, Meinrat O. Andreae, Konrad Kandler, Stuart Piketh, Thuraya Saeed, Dave Seibert, Earle Williams, Yves Balkanski, Paolo Prati, and Jean-François Doussin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7175–7191, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7175-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7175-2017, 2017
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This paper presents new laboratory measurements of the shortwave mass absorption efficiency (MAE) used by climate models for mineral dust of different origin and at different sizes. We found that small particles are more efficient, by given mass, in absorbing radiation, particularly at shorter wavelength. Because dust has high concentrations in the atmosphere, light absorption by mineral dust can be competitive to other absorbing atmospheric aerosols such as black and brown carbon.
Alessandro Bigi and Grazia Ghermandi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 15777–15788, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15777-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15777-2016, 2016
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Po Valley (northern Italy, 42 000 km2, 15 million inhabitants) is a real-scale model to test whether environmental policies may improve one of the worst air qualities in Europe. In this study we show how pollution from fine and coarse atmospheric particles (PM2.5 and PM10–2.5), largely originating from anthropogenic emissions, dropped thanks to the broader use of cleaner and more efficient technologies.
P. Kupiszewski, E. Weingartner, P. Vochezer, M. Schnaiter, A. Bigi, M. Gysel, B. Rosati, E. Toprak, S. Mertes, and U. Baltensperger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 3087–3106, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3087-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3087-2015, 2015
A. Bigi and G. Ghermandi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 4895–4907, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4895-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4895-2014, 2014
Related subject area
Subject: Aerosols | Technique: Laboratory Measurement | Topic: Data Processing and Information Retrieval
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An extraction method for nitrogen isotope measurement of ammonium in a low-concentration environment
Estimation of secondary organic aerosol formation parameters for the volatility basis set combining thermodenuder, isothermal dilution, and yield measurements
Characterization of offline analysis of particulate matter with FIGAERO-CIMS
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A universally applicable method of calculating confidence bands for ice nucleation spectra derived from droplet freezing experiments
Thermal–optical analysis of quartz fiber filters loaded with snow samples – determination of iron based on interferences caused by mineral dust
Modelling ultrafine particle growth in a flow tube reactor
Substantial organic impurities at the surface of synthetic ammonium sulfate particles
Contrasting mineral dust abundances from X-ray diffraction and reflectance spectroscopy
Fragment ion–functional group relationships in organic aerosols using aerosol mass spectrometry and mid-infrared spectroscopy
Evolution under dark conditions of particles from old and modern diesel vehicles in a new environmental chamber characterized with fresh exhaust emissions
Quantification of isomer-resolved iodide chemical ionization mass spectrometry sensitivity and uncertainty using a voltage-scanning approach
Assessing the sources of particles at an urban background site using both regulatory instruments and low-cost sensors – a comparative study
High-resolution optical constants of crystalline ammonium nitrate for infrared remote sensing of the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer
Assessing the accuracy of low-cost optical particle sensors using a physics-based approach
Comparison of dimension reduction techniques in the analysis of mass spectrometry data
Development of a new correction algorithm applicable to any filter-based absorption photometer
Chemical discrimination of the particulate and gas phases of miniCAST exhausts using a two-filter collection method
External and internal cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) mixtures: controlled laboratory studies of varying mixing states
Classification of iron oxide aerosols by a single particle soot photometer using supervised machine learning
Method to measure the size-resolved real part of aerosol refractive index using differential mobility analyzer in tandem with single-particle soot photometer
Quantitative capabilities of STXM to measure spatially resolved organic volume fractions of mixed organic ∕ inorganic particles
Revisiting the differential freezing nucleus spectra derived from drop-freezing experiments: methods of calculation, applications, and confidence limits
Particle wall-loss correction methods in smog chamber experiments
Improved real-time bio-aerosol classification using artificial neural networks
Machine learning for improved data analysis of biological aerosol using the WIBS
A machine learning approach to aerosol classification for single-particle mass spectrometry
Evaluation of a hierarchical agglomerative clustering method applied to WIBS laboratory data for improved discrimination of biological particles by comparing data preparation techniques
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Evaluation of machine learning algorithms for classification of primary biological aerosol using a new UV-LIF spectrometer
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A modeling approach to evaluate the uncertainty in estimating the evaporation behaviour and volatility of organic aerosols
A model of aerosol evaporation kinetics in a thermodenuder
Pauli Simonen, Miikka Dal Maso, Pinja Prauda, Anniina Hoilijoki, Anette Karppinen, Pekka Matilainen, Panu Karjalainen, and Jorma Keskinen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3219–3236, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3219-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3219-2024, 2024
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Secondary aerosol is formed in the atmosphere from gaseous emissions. Oxidation flow reactors used in secondary aerosol research do not immediately respond to changes in the inlet concentration of gases because of their broad transfer functions. This may result in incorrect secondary aerosol production factors determined for vehicles. We studied the extent of possible errors and found that oxidation flow reactors with faster responses result in smaller errors.
Emily Y. Li, Amir Yazdani, Ann M. Dillner, Guofeng Shen, Wyatt M. Champion, James J. Jetter, William T. Preston, Lynn M. Russell, Michael D. Hays, and Satoshi Takahama
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2401–2413, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2401-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2401-2024, 2024
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Infrared spectroscopy is a cost-effective measurement technique to characterize the chemical composition of organic aerosol emissions. This technique differentiates the organic matter emission factor from different fuel sources by their characteristic functional groups. Comparison with collocated measurements suggests that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in emissions estimated by conventional chromatography may be substantially underestimated.
Radhika A. Chipade and Mehul R. Pandya
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5443–5459, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5443-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5443-2023, 2023
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The extinction-to-backscattering ratio, popularly known as lidar ratio of atmospheric aerosols, is an important optical property, which is essential to retrieve the extinction profiles of atmospheric aerosols. A physics-based theoretical approach is presented in the present paper that estimates lidar ratio values for CALIPSO and OPAC aerosol models, which can be used as inputs to determine the extinction profiles of aerosols using CALIPSO data.
Alexis Lamothe, Joel Savarino, Patrick Ginot, Lison Soussaintjean, Elsa Gautier, Pete D. Akers, Nicolas Caillon, and Joseph Erbland
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4015–4030, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4015-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4015-2023, 2023
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Ammonia is a reactive gas in our atmosphere that is key in air quality issues. Assessing its emissions and how it reacts is a hot topic that can be addressed from the past. Stable isotopes (the mass of the molecule) measured in ice cores (glacial archives) can teach us a lot. However, the concentrations in ice cores are very small. We propose a protocol to limit the contamination and apply it to one ice core drilled in Mont Blanc, describing the opportunities our method brings.
Petro Uruci, Dontavious Sippial, Anthoula Drosatou, and Spyros N. Pandis
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3155–3172, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3155-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3155-2023, 2023
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In this work we develop an algorithm for the synthesis of the measurements performed in atmospheric simulation chambers regarding the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Novel features of the algorithm are its ability to use measurements of SOA yields, thermodenuders, and isothermal dilution; its estimation of parameters that can be used directly in atmospheric chemical transport models; and finally its estimates of the uncertainty in SOA formation yields.
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.
Markus Thoma, Franziska Bachmeier, Felix Leonard Gottwald, Mario Simon, and Alexander Lucas Vogel
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 7137–7154, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7137-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7137-2022, 2022
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We introduce the aerosolomics database and apply it to particulate matter samples. Nine VOCs were oxidized under various conditions in an oxidation flow reactor, and the formed SOA was measured using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. With the database, an unambiguous top-down attribution of atmospheric oxidation products to their parent VOCs is now possible. Combining the database with hierarchical clustering enables a better understanding of sources, formation, and partitioning of SOA.
William D. Fahy, Cosma Rohilla Shalizi, and Ryan Christopher Sullivan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6819–6836, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6819-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6819-2022, 2022
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Heterogeneous ice nucleation (IN) alters cloud microphysics and climate, and droplet freezing assays are widely used to determine a material's IN ability. Existing statistical procedures require restrictive assumptions that may bias reported results, and there is no rigorous way to compare IN spectra. To improve the accuracy of reported IN data, we present a method for calculating statistics and confidence bands and testing statistical differences between IN activities in different materials.
Daniela Kau, Marion Greilinger, Bernadette Kirchsteiger, Aron Göndör, Christopher Herzig, Andreas Limbeck, Elisabeth Eitenberger, and Anne Kasper-Giebl
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5207–5217, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5207-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5207-2022, 2022
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The use of thermal–optical analysis for the determination of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) can be biased by mineral dust (MD). We present a method that utilizes this interference to quantify iron contained in MD in snow samples. Possibilities and limitations of applying this method to particulate matter samples are presented. The influence of light-absorbing iron compounds in MD on the transmittance signal can be used to identify samples experiencing a bias of the OC / EC split.
Michael S. Taylor Jr., Devon N. Higgins, and Murray V. Johnston
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4663–4674, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4663-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4663-2022, 2022
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This modelling study investigates the complex growth kinetics of ultrafine particles in a flow tube reactor. When both surface- and volume-limited growth processes occur, the particle diameter growth rate changes as a function of time in the flow tube. We show that this growth can be represented by a parameter (growth factor, GF) which can be obtained experimentally from the outlet-minus-inlet particle diameter change without foreknowledge of the chemical growth processes involved.
Junteng Wu, Nicolas Brun, Juan Miguel González-Sánchez, Badr R'Mili, Brice Temime Roussel, Sylvain Ravier, Jean-Louis Clément, and Anne Monod
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3859–3874, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3859-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3859-2022, 2022
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This work quantified and tentatively identified the organic impurities on ammonium sulfate aerosols generated in the laboratory. They are likely low volatile and high mass molecules containing oxygen, nitrogen, and/or sulfur. Our results show that these organic impurities likely originate from the commercial AS crystals. It is recommended to use AS seeds with caution, especially when small particles are used, in terms of AS purity and water purity when aqueous solutions are used for atomization.
Mohammad R. Sadrian, Wendy M. Calvin, and John McCormack
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3053–3074, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3053-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3053-2022, 2022
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Mineral dust particles originate from surface soils, primarily in arid regions. They can stay suspended in the atmosphere, impacting Earth's radiation budget. Dust particles will have different perturbation effects depending on their composition. We obtained compositional information on dust collected in an urban setting using two different techniques. We recommended using the combination of measurements to determine the variability in dust mineral abundances.
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.
Boris Vansevenant, Cédric Louis, Corinne Ferronato, Ludovic Fine, Patrick Tassel, Pascal Perret, Evangelia Kostenidou, Brice Temime-Roussel, Barbara D'Anna, Karine Sartelet, Véronique Cerezo, and Yao Liu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7627–7655, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7627-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7627-2021, 2021
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A new method was developed to correct wall losses of particles on Teflon walls using a new environmental chamber. It was applied to experiments with six diesel vehicles (Euro 3 to 6), tested on a chassis dynamometer. Emissions of particles and precursors were obtained under urban and motorway conditions. The chamber experiments help understand the role of physical processes in diesel particle evolutions in the dark. These results can be applied to situations such as tunnels or winter rush hours.
Chenyang Bi, Jordan E. Krechmer, Graham O. Frazier, Wen Xu, Andrew T. Lambe, Megan S. Claflin, Brian M. Lerner, John T. Jayne, Douglas R. Worsnop, Manjula R. Canagaratna, and Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6835–6850, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6835-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6835-2021, 2021
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Iodide-adduct chemical ionization mass spectrometry (I-CIMS) has been widely used to analyze airborne organics. In this study, I-CIMS sensitivities of isomers within a formula are found to generally vary by 1 and up to 2 orders of magnitude. Comparisons between measured and predicted moles, obtained using a voltage-scanning calibration approach, show that predictions for individual compounds or formulas might carry high uncertainty, yet the summed moles of analytes agree reasonably well.
Dimitrios Bousiotis, Ajit Singh, Molly Haugen, David C. S. Beddows, Sebastián Diez, Killian L. Murphy, Pete M. Edwards, Adam Boies, Roy M. Harrison, and Francis D. Pope
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4139–4155, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4139-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4139-2021, 2021
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Measurement and source apportionment of atmospheric pollutants are crucial for the assessment of air quality and the implementation of policies for their improvement. This study highlights the current capability of low-cost sensors in source identification and differentiation using clustering approaches. Future directions towards particulate matter source apportionment using low-cost OPCs are highlighted.
Robert Wagner, Baptiste Testa, Michael Höpfner, Alexei Kiselev, Ottmar Möhler, Harald Saathoff, Jörn Ungermann, and Thomas Leisner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 1977–1991, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1977-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1977-2021, 2021
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During the Asian summer monsoon period, air pollutants are transported from layers near the ground to high altitudes of 13 to 18 km in the atmosphere. Infrared measurements have shown that particles composed of solid ammonium nitrate are a major part of these pollutants. To enable the quantitative analysis of the infrared spectra, we have determined for the first time accurate optical constants of ammonium nitrate for the low-temperature conditions of the upper atmosphere.
David H. Hagan and Jesse H. Kroll
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6343–6355, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6343-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6343-2020, 2020
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Assessing the error of low-cost particulate matter (PM) sensors has been difficult as each empirical study presents unique limitations. Here, we present a new, open-sourced, physics-based model (opcsim) and use it to understand how the properties of different particle sensors alter their accuracy. We offer a summary of likely sources of error for different sensor types, environmental conditions, and particle classes and offer recommendations for the choice of optimal calibrant.
Sini Isokääntä, Eetu Kari, Angela Buchholz, Liqing Hao, Siegfried Schobesberger, Annele Virtanen, and Santtu Mikkonen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2995–3022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2995-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2995-2020, 2020
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Online mass spectrometry produces large amounts of data. These data can be interpreted with statistical methods, enabling scientists to more easily understand the underlying processes. We compared these techniques on car exhaust measurements. We show differences and similarities between the methods and give recommendations on applicability of the methods on certain types of data. We show that applying multiple methods leads to more robust results, thus increasing reliability of the findings.
Hanyang Li, Gavin R. McMeeking, and Andrew A. May
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2865–2886, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2865-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2865-2020, 2020
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We present a new correction algorithm that addresses biases in measurements of aerosol light absorption by filter-based photometers, incorporating the transmission of light through the filter and some aerosol optical properties. It was developed using biomass burning aerosols and tested using rural ambient aerosols. This new algorithm is applicable to any filter-based photometer, resulting in good agreement between different colocated instruments in both the laboratory and the field.
Linh Dan Ngo, Dumitru Duca, Yvain Carpentier, Jennifer A. Noble, Raouf Ikhenazene, Marin Vojkovic, Cornelia Irimiea, Ismael K. Ortega, Guillaume Lefevre, Jérôme Yon, Alessandro Faccinetto, Eric Therssen, Michael Ziskind, Bertrand Chazallon, Claire Pirim, and Cristian Focsa
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 951–967, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-951-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-951-2020, 2020
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The partitioning of noxious chemical compounds between the particulate and gas phases in combustion emissions is key to delineate their exact impacts on atmospheric chemistry and human health. We developed a two-filter sampling system, a multi-technique analytical approach, and advanced statistical methods to fully characterize the composition of both phases in combustion emissions. We could successfully discriminate samples from a standard soot generator by their volatile–non-volatile species.
Diep Vu, Shaokai Gao, Tyler Berte, Mary Kacarab, Qi Yao, Kambiz Vafai, and Akua Asa-Awuku
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 4277–4289, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4277-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4277-2019, 2019
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Aerosol–cloud interactions contribute the greatest uncertainty to cloud formation. Aerosol composition is complex and can change quickly in the atmosphere. In this work, we recreate a transition in aerosol mixing state in the laboratory, which (to date) has only been observed in the ambient state. We then report the subsequent changes on cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation.
Kara D. Lamb
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 3885–3906, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3885-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3885-2019, 2019
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Recent atmospheric observations have indicated emissions of iron-oxide-containing aerosols from anthropogenic sources could be 8x higher than previous estimates, leading models to underestimate their climate impact. Previous studies have shown the single particle soot photometer (SP2) can quantify the atmospheric abundance of these aerosols. Here, I explore a machine learning approach to improve SP2 detection, significantly reducing misclassifications of other aerosols as iron oxide aerosols.
Gang Zhao, Weilun Zhao, and Chunsheng Zhao
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 3541–3550, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3541-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3541-2019, 2019
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A new method is proposed to retrieve the size-resolved real part of the refractive index (RRI). The main principle of deriving the RRI is measuring the scattering intensity by a single-particle soot photometer of a size-selected aerosol. This method is validated by a series of calibration experiments using the components of the known RI. The retrieved size-resolved RRI covers a wide range, from 200 nm to 450 nm, with uncertainty of less than 0.02.
Matthew Fraund, Tim Park, Lin Yao, Daniel Bonanno, Don Q. Pham, and Ryan C. Moffet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 1619–1633, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1619-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1619-2019, 2019
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Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) is a powerful tool which is able to determine the elemental and functional composition of aerosols on a subparticle level. The current work validates the use of STXM for quantitatively calculating the organic volume fraction of individual aerosols by applying the calculation to lab-prepared samples. The caveats and limitations for this calculation are shown as well.
Gabor Vali
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 1219–1231, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1219-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1219-2019, 2019
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The abundance of freezing nuclei in water samples is routinely determined by experiments involving the cooling of sample drops and observing the temperatures at which the drops freeze. This is used for characterizing the nucleating abilities of materials in laboratory preparations or to determine the numbers of nucleating particles in rain, snow, river water or other natural waters. The evaluation of drop-freezing experiments in terms of differential nucleus spectra is advocated in the paper.
Ningxin Wang, Spiro D. Jorga, Jeffery R. Pierce, Neil M. Donahue, and Spyros N. Pandis
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 6577–6588, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6577-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6577-2018, 2018
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The interaction of particles with the chamber walls has been a significant source of uncertainty when analyzing results of secondary organic aerosol formation experiments performed in Teflon chambers. We evaluated the performance of several particle wall-loss correction methods for aging experiments of α-pinene ozonolysis products. Experimental procedures are proposed for the characterization of particle losses during different stages of these experiments.
Maciej Leśkiewicz, Miron Kaliszewski, Maksymilian Włodarski, Jarosław Młyńczak, Zygmunt Mierczyk, and Krzysztof Kopczyński
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 6259–6270, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6259-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6259-2018, 2018
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In this study we demonstrate the application of artificial neural networks to the real-time analysis of single-particle fluorescence fingerprints acquired using BARDet (a BioAeRosol Detector). 48 different aerosols including pollens, bacteria, fungi, spores and nonbiological substances were characterized. An entirely new approach to data analysis using a decision tree comprising 22 independent neural networks was discussed. A very high accuracy of aerosol classification in real time resulted.
Simon Ruske, David O. Topping, Virginia E. Foot, Andrew P. Morse, and Martin W. Gallagher
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 6203–6230, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6203-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6203-2018, 2018
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Pollen, bacteria and fungal spores are common in the environment, can have very important implications for public health and may influence the weather. Biological sensors potentially could be used to monitor quantities of these types of particles. However, it is important to transform the measurements from these instruments into counts of these biological particles. The paper tests a variety of approaches for achieving this aim on data collected in a laboratory.
Costa D. Christopoulos, Sarvesh Garimella, Maria A. Zawadowicz, Ottmar Möhler, and Daniel J. Cziczo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5687–5699, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5687-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5687-2018, 2018
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Compositional analysis of atmospheric and laboratory aerosols is often conducted with mass spectrometry. In this study, machine learning is used to automatically differentiate particles on the basis of chemistry and size. The ability of the machine learning algorithm was then tested on a data set for which the particles were not initially known to judge its ability.
Nicole J. Savage and J. Alex Huffman
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 4929–4942, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-4929-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-4929-2018, 2018
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We show the systematic application of hierarchical agglomerative clustering (HAC) to comprehensive bioaerosol and non-bioaerosol laboratory data collected with the wideband integrated bioaerosol sensor (WIBS-4A). This study investigated various input conditions and used individual matchups and computational mixtures of particles; it will help improve clustering results applied to data from the ultraviolet laser and light-induced fluorescence instruments commonly used for bioaerosol research.
Jake Zenker, Kristen N. Collier, Guanglang Xu, Ping Yang, Ezra J. T. Levin, Kaitlyn J. Suski, Paul J. DeMott, and Sarah D. Brooks
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 4639–4657, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4639-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4639-2017, 2017
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We have developed a new method which employs single particle depolarization to determine ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations and to differentiate between ice crystals, water droplets, and aerosols. The method is used to interpret measurements collected using the Texas A&M Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber (TAMU CFDC) coupled to a Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer with Polarization (CASPOL). This new method extends the range of operating conditions for the CFDC to higher supersaturations.
Matthew Osman, Maria A. Zawadowicz, Sarah B. Das, and Daniel J. Cziczo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 4459–4477, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4459-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4459-2017, 2017
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This study presents the first-time attempt at using time-of-flight single particle mass spectrometry (SPMS) as an emerging online technique for measuring insoluble particles in glacial snow and ice. Using samples from two Greenlandic ice cores, we show that SPMS can constrain the aerodynamic size, composition, and relative abundance of most particulate types on a per-particle basis, reducing the preparation time and resources required of conventional, filter-based particle retrieval methods.
Simon Ruske, David O. Topping, Virginia E. Foot, Paul H. Kaye, Warren R. Stanley, Ian Crawford, Andrew P. Morse, and Martin W. Gallagher
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 695–708, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-695-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-695-2017, 2017
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Particles such as bacteria, pollen and fungal spores have important implications within the environment and public health sectors. Here we evaluate the performance of various different methods for distinguishing between these different types of particles using a new instrument. We demonstrate that there may be better alternatives to the currently used methods which can be further investigated in future research.
Yan Lyu, Tingting Xu, Xiang Li, Tiantao Cheng, Xin Yang, Xiaomin Sun, and Jianmin Chen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 1025–1037, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1025-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1025-2016, 2016
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This study presents the particle size distribution of PBDEs in the atmosphere of a megacity and evaluates the contribution of size-fractionated PBDEs' deposition in the human respiratory tract.
Matteo Reggente, Ann M. Dillner, and Satoshi Takahama
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 441–454, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-441-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-441-2016, 2016
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Organic carbon and elemental carbon are major components of atmospheric PM. Typically they are measured using destructive and relatively expensive methods (e.g., TOR). We aim to reduce the operating costs of large air quality monitoring networks using FT-IR spectra of ambient PTFE filters and PLS regression. We achieve accurate predictions for models (calibrated in 2011) that use samples collected at the same or different sites of the calibration data set and in a different year (2013).
S. S. Steimer, U. K. Krieger, Y.-F. Te, D. M. Lienhard, A. J. Huisman, B. P. Luo, M. Ammann, and T. Peter
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 2397–2408, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2397-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2397-2015, 2015
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Atmospheric aerosol is often subject to supersaturated or supercooled conditions where bulk measurements are not possible. Here we demonstrate how measurements using single particle electrodynamic levitation combined with light scattering spectroscopy allow the retrieval of thermodynamic data, optical properties and water diffusivity of such metastable particles even when auxiliary bulk data are not available due to lack of sufficient amounts of sample.
N. Utry, T. Ajtai, M. Pintér, E. Tombácz, E. Illés, Z. Bozóki, and G. Szabó
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 401–410, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-401-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-401-2015, 2015
A. Quérel, P. Lemaitre, M. Monier, E. Porcheron, A. I. Flossmann, and M. Hervo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 1321–1330, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-1321-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-1321-2014, 2014
F. Freutel, F. Drewnick, J. Schneider, T. Klimach, and S. Borrmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 3131–3145, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3131-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3131-2013, 2013
E. Fuentes and G. McFiggans
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 5, 735–757, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-5-735-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-5-735-2012, 2012
C. D. Cappa
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 3, 579–592, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-3-579-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-3-579-2010, 2010
Cited articles
Alfaro, S. C., Lafon, S., Rajot, J. L., Formenti, P., Gaudichet, A., and Maillé, M.: Iron oxides and light absorption by pure desert dust: An experimental study, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D08208, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JD004374, 2004.
Andreae, M. O. and Gelencsér, A.: Black carbon or brown carbon? The nature of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 3131–3148, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-3131-2006, 2006.
Bernardoni, V., Pileci, R. E., Caponi, L., and Massabò, D.: The Multi-Wavelength Absorption Analyzer (MWAA) Model as a Tool for Source and Component Apportionment Based on Aerosol Absorption Properties: Application to Samples Collected in Different Environments, Atmosphere, 8, 218, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos8110218, 2017.
Bond, T. C. and Bergstrom, R. W.: Light absorption by carbonaceous particles: an investigative review, Aerosol Sci. Tech., 40, 27–67, 2006.
Bond, T. C., Doherty, S. J., Fahey, D. W., Forster, P. M., Berntsen, T., Deangelo, B. J., Flanner, M. G., Ghan, S., Kärcher, B., Koch, D., Kinne, S., Kondo, Y., Quinn, P. K., Sarofim, M. C., Schultz, M. G., Schulz, M., Venkataraman, C., Zhang, H., Zhang, S., Bellouin, N., Guttikunda, S. K., Hopke, P. K., Jacobson, M. Z., Kaiser, J. W., Klimont, Z., Lohmann, U., Schwarz, J. P., Shindell, D., Storelvmo, T., Warren, S. G., and Zender, C. S.: Bounding the role of black carbon in the climate system: A scientific assessment, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 118, 5380–5552, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50171, 2013.
Caponi, L., Formenti, P., Massabó, D., Di Biagio, C., Cazaunau, M., Pangui, E., Chevaillier, S., Landrot, G., Andreae, M. O., Kandler, K., Piketh, S., Saeed, T., Seibert, D., Williams, E., Balkanski, Y., Prati, P., and Doussin, J.-F.: Spectral- and size-resolved mass absorption efficiency of mineral dust aerosols in the shortwave spectrum: a simulation chamber study, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7175–7191, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7175-2017, 2017.
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Short summary
We present an innovative software toolkit to differentiate sources of carbonaceous aerosol in the atmosphere. Our toolkit implements an upgraded mathematical model which allows for determination of fundamental optical properties of the aerosol, its sources, and the mass concentration of different carbonaceous species of particulate matter. We have tested the functionality of the software by re-analysing published data, and we obtained a compatible results with additional information.
We present an innovative software toolkit to differentiate sources of carbonaceous aerosol in...
