Articles | Volume 19, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-4201-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-19-4201-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 26 Jun 2026
| 26 Jun 2026
Design, operation and characterization of a mobile laboratory for hyperlocal atmospheric research
Samuel J. Cliff
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Michael R. Giordano
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Haley McNamara Byrne
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Robert J. Weber
Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Jude Z. Hebert
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Kyle Huang
Rausser College of Natural Resources, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Joshua S. Apte
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
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Erin F. Katz, Caleb M. Arata, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Robert J. Weber, Haley Byrne, Michael J. Milazzo, Samuel J. Cliff, Joshua Apte, and Allen H. Goldstein
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4147, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4147, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are precursors to urban air pollution. We measured VOC emissions in a major North American urban area and identified the dominant sources of four abundant compounds: ethanol, methanol, acetaldehyde, and acetone. Cooking and consumer products (e.g., solvents) were the primary sources, showing that these emissions play a larger role in urban air quality than previously thought.
Erin F. Katz, Caleb M. Arata, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Robert J. Weber, Haley Byrne, Michael J. Milazzo, Samuel J. Cliff, Joshua Apte, and Allen H. Goldstein
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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are precursors to urban air pollution. We measured VOC emissions in a major North American urban area and identified the dominant sources of four abundant compounds: ethanol, methanol, acetaldehyde, and acetone. Cooking and consumer products (e.g., solvents) were the primary sources, showing that these emissions play a larger role in urban air quality than previously thought.
Lindsay D. Yee, Emily B. Franklin, Robin J. Weber, Jessica Zhao, Tiger Zhang, Stephanie Xu, Isaac Santillan, Fangyuan Li, Coty N. Jen, Haofei Zhang, Yutong Liang, Gabriel Isaacman Van-Wertz, Rebecca A. Wernis, John Offenberg, Michael Lewandowski, Taekyu Joo, Masayuki Takeuchi, Gamze Eris, Weiqi Xu, Nga L. Ng, Yuzhi Chen, John E. Shilling, Mary Alice Upshur, Ariana Gray Bé, Regan J. Thomson, Franz M. Geiger, and Allen H. Goldstein
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James D. A. Butler, Afsara Tasnia, Deep Sengupta, Nathan Kreisberg, Kelley C. Barsanti, Allen H. Goldstein, Chelsea V. Preble, Rebecca A. Sugrue, and Thomas W. Kirchstetter
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 839–850, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-839-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-839-2026, 2026
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Prescribed burns are controlled fires used to prevent wildfires. Smoke emissions were measured to characterize emission factors and optical properties of black and brown soot particles. Brown particles were emitted at 7–14 times that of black particles and contributed 82 % of atmospheric absorption by particles for ultraviolet light and 23 % for total solar radiation. These findings will improve inventories and climate models for prescribed burns.
Erin F. Katz, Caleb M. Arata, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Robert J. Weber, Darian Ng, Michael J. Milazzo, Haley Byrne, Hui Wang, Alex B. Guenther, Camilo Rey-Sanchez, Joshua Apte, Dennis D. Baldocchi, and Allen H. Goldstein
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 15281–15299, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15281-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15281-2025, 2025
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Qindan Zhu, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Matthew Coggon, Colin Harkins, Jordan Schnell, Jian He, Havala O. T. Pye, Meng Li, Barry Baker, Zachary Moon, Ravan Ahmadov, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Bryan Place, Paul Wooldridge, Benjamin C. Schulze, Caleb Arata, Anthony Bucholtz, John H. Seinfeld, Carsten Warneke, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Lu Xu, Kristen Zuraski, Michael A. Robinson, J. Andrew Neuman, Patrick R. Veres, Jeff Peischl, Steven S. Brown, Allen H. Goldstein, Ronald C. Cohen, and Brian C. McDonald
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5265–5286, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5265-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5265-2024, 2024
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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) fuel the production of air pollutants like ozone and particulate matter. The representation of VOC chemistry remains challenging due to its complexity in speciation and reactions. Here, we develop a chemical mechanism, RACM2B-VCP, that better represents VOC chemistry in urban areas such as Los Angeles. We also discuss the contribution of VOCs emitted from volatile chemical products and other anthropogenic sources to total VOC reactivity and O3.
Anil Kumar Mandariya, Ajit Ahlawat, Mohammed Haneef, Nisar Ali Baig, Kanan Patel, Joshua Apte, Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Gazala Habib
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 3627–3647, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3627-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3627-2024, 2024
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The current study explores the temporal variation of size-selected particle hygroscopicity in Delhi for the first time. Here, we report that the high volume fraction contribution of ammonium chloride to aerosol governs the high aerosol hygroscopicity and associated liquid water content based on the experimental data. The episodically high ammonium chloride present in Delhi's atmosphere could lead to haze and fog formation under high relative humidity in the region.
Matthew M. Coggon, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Megan S. Claflin, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Lu Xu, Jessica B. Gilman, Julia Marcantonio, Cong Cao, Kelvin Bates, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Aaron Lamplugh, Erin F. Katz, Caleb Arata, Eric C. Apel, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Felix Piel, Francesca Majluf, Donald R. Blake, Armin Wisthaler, Manjula Canagaratna, Brian M. Lerner, Allen H. Goldstein, John E. Mak, and Carsten Warneke
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 801–825, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-801-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-801-2024, 2024
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Mass spectrometry is a tool commonly used to measure air pollutants. This study evaluates measurement artifacts produced in the proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer. We provide methods to correct these biases and better measure compounds that degrade air quality.
Clara M. Nussbaumer, Bryan K. Place, Qindan Zhu, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Paul Wooldridge, Benjamin C. Schulze, Caleb Arata, Ryan Ward, Anthony Bucholtz, John H. Seinfeld, Allen H. Goldstein, and Ronald C. Cohen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13015–13028, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13015-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13015-2023, 2023
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NOx is a precursor to hazardous tropospheric ozone and can be emitted from various anthropogenic sources. It is important to quantify NOx emissions in urban environments to improve the local air quality, which still remains a challenge, as sources are heterogeneous in space and time. In this study, we calculate NOx emissions over Los Angeles, based on aircraft measurements in June 2021, and compare them to a local emission inventory, which we find mostly overpredicts the measured values.
Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Caleb Arata, Qindan Zhu, Benjamin C. Schulze, Roy Woods, John H. Seinfeld, Anthony Bucholtz, Ronald C. Cohen, and Allen H. Goldstein
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 12753–12780, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12753-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12753-2023, 2023
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The San Joaquin Valley is an agricultural area with poor air quality. Organic gases drive the formation of hazardous air pollutants. Agricultural emissions of these gases are not well understood and have rarely been quantified at landscape scale. By combining aircraft-based emission measurements with land cover information, we found mis- or unrepresented emission sources. Our results help in understanding of pollution sources and in improving predictions of air quality in agricultural regions.
Yutong Liang, Rebecca A. Wernis, Kasper Kristensen, Nathan M. Kreisberg, Philip L. Croteau, Scott C. Herndon, Arthur W. H. Chan, Nga L. Ng, and Allen H. Goldstein
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 12441–12454, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12441-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12441-2023, 2023
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We measured the gas–particle partitioning behaviors of biomass burning markers and examined the effect of wildfire organic aerosol on the partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds. Most compounds measured are less volatile than model predictions. Wildfire aerosol enhanced the condensation of polar compounds and caused some nonpolar (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) compounds to partition into the gas phase, thus affecting their lifetimes in the atmosphere and the mode of exposure.
Mark Joseph Campmier, Jonathan Gingrich, Saumya Singh, Nisar Baig, Shahzad Gani, Adithi Upadhya, Pratyush Agrawal, Meenakshi Kushwaha, Harsh Raj Mishra, Ajay Pillarisetti, Sreekanth Vakacherla, Ravi Kant Pathak, and Joshua S. Apte
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4357–4374, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4357-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4357-2023, 2023
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We studied a low-cost air pollution sensor called PurpleAir PA-II in three different locations in India (Delhi, Hamirpur, and Bangalore) to characterize its performance. We compared its signal to more expensive reference sensors and found that the PurpleAir sensor was precise but inaccurate without calibration. We created a custom calibration equation for each location, which improved the accuracy of the PurpleAir sensor, and found that calibrations should be adjusted for different seasons.
Qindan Zhu, Bryan Place, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Sha Tong, Huanxin Zhang, Jun Wang, Clara M. Nussbaumer, Paul Wooldridge, Benjamin C. Schulze, Caleb Arata, Anthony Bucholtz, John H. Seinfeld, Allen H. Goldstein, and Ronald C. Cohen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9669–9683, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9669-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9669-2023, 2023
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Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is a hazardous air pollutant, and it is the precursor of short-lived climate forcers like tropospheric ozone and aerosol particles. While NOx emissions from transportation has been strictly regulated, soil NOx emissions are overlooked. We use the airborne flux measurements to observe NOx emissions from highways and urban and cultivated soil land cover types. We show non-negligible soil NOx emissions, which are significantly underestimated in current model simulations.
Rebecca A. Wernis, Nathan M. Kreisberg, Robert J. Weber, Greg T. Drozd, and Allen H. Goldstein
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 14987–15019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14987-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14987-2022, 2022
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We measured volatile and intermediate-volatility gases and semivolatile gas- and particle-phase compounds in the atmosphere during an 11 d period in a Bay Area suburb. We separated compounds based on variability in time to arrive at 13 distinct sources. Some compounds emitted from plants are found in greater quantities as fragrance compounds in consumer products. The wide volatility range of these measurements enables the construction of more complete source profiles.
Sahil Bhandari, Zainab Arub, Gazala Habib, Joshua S. Apte, and Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6051–6074, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6051-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6051-2022, 2022
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We present a new method to conduct source apportionment resolved by time of day using the underlying approach of positive matrix factorization. We report results for four example time periods in two seasons (winter and monsoon 2017) in Delhi, India. Compared to the traditional approach, we extract a larger number of factors that represent the expected sources of primary organic aerosol. This method can capture diurnal time series patterns of sources at low computational cost.
Sahil Bhandari, Zainab Arub, Gazala Habib, Joshua S. Apte, and Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 13631–13657, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13631-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13631-2022, 2022
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Here we determine the sources of primary organic aerosol in Delhi, India, in two different seasons. In winter, the main sources are traffic and biomass burning; in the summer, the main sources are traffic and cooking. We obtain this result by conducting source apportionment resolved by time of day, using data from an aerosol chemical speciation monitor. Results from this work can be used to better design policies that target sources of organic aerosol.
Yutong Liang, Christos Stamatis, Edward C. Fortner, Rebecca A. Wernis, Paul Van Rooy, Francesca Majluf, Tara I. Yacovitch, Conner Daube, Scott C. Herndon, Nathan M. Kreisberg, Kelley C. Barsanti, and Allen H. Goldstein
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 9877–9893, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9877-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9877-2022, 2022
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This article reports the measurements of organic compounds emitted from western US wildfires. We identified and quantified 240 particle-phase compounds and 72 gas-phase compounds emitted in wildfire and related the emissions to the modified combustion efficiency. Higher emissions of diterpenoids and monoterpenes were observed, likely due to distillation from unburned heated vegetation. Our results can benefit future source apportionment and modeling studies as well as exposure assessments.
Emily B. Franklin, Lindsay D. Yee, Bernard Aumont, Robert J. Weber, Paul Grigas, and Allen H. Goldstein
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3779–3803, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3779-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3779-2022, 2022
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The composition of atmospheric aerosols are extremely complex, containing hundreds of thousands of estimated individual compounds. The majority of these compounds have never been catalogued in widely used databases, making them extremely difficult for atmospheric chemists to identify and analyze. In this work, we present Ch3MS-RF, a machine-learning-based model to enable characterization of complex mixtures and prediction of structure-specific properties of unidentifiable organic compounds.
Andrew J. Lindsay, Daniel C. Anderson, Rebecca A. Wernis, Yutong Liang, Allen H. Goldstein, Scott C. Herndon, Joseph R. Roscioli, Christoph Dyroff, Ed C. Fortner, Philip L. Croteau, Francesca Majluf, Jordan E. Krechmer, Tara I. Yacovitch, Walter B. Knighton, and Ezra C. Wood
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 4909–4928, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4909-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4909-2022, 2022
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Wildfire smoke dramatically impacts air quality and often has elevated concentrations of ozone. We present measurements of ozone and its precursors at a rural site periodically impacted by wildfire smoke. Measurements of total peroxy radicals, key ozone precursors that have been studied little within wildfires, compare well with chemical box model predictions. Our results indicate no serious issues with using current chemistry mechanisms to model chemistry in aged wildfire plumes.
Delaney B. Kilgour, Gordon A. Novak, Jon S. Sauer, Alexia N. Moore, Julie Dinasquet, Sarah Amiri, Emily B. Franklin, Kathryn Mayer, Margaux Winter, Clare K. Morris, Tyler Price, Francesca Malfatti, Daniel R. Crocker, Christopher Lee, Christopher D. Cappa, Allen H. Goldstein, Kimberly A. Prather, and Timothy H. Bertram
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 1601–1613, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1601-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1601-2022, 2022
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We report measurements of gas-phase volatile organosulfur molecules made during a mesocosm phytoplankton bloom experiment. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS), methanethiol (MeSH), and benzothiazole accounted for on average over 90 % of total gas-phase sulfur emissions. This work focuses on factors controlling the production and emission of DMS and MeSH and the role of non-DMS molecules (such as MeSH and benzothiazole) in secondary sulfate formation in coastal marine environments.
Rebecca A. Wernis, Nathan M. Kreisberg, Robert J. Weber, Yutong Liang, John Jayne, Susanne Hering, and Allen H. Goldstein
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6533–6550, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6533-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6533-2021, 2021
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cTAG is a new scientific instrument that measures concentrations of organic chemicals in the atmosphere. cTAG is the first instrument capable of measuring small, light chemicals as well as heavier chemicals and everything in between on a single detector, every hour. In this work we explain how cTAG works and some of the tests we performed to verify that it works properly and reliably. We also present measurements of alkanes that suggest they have three dominant sources in a Bay Area suburb.
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Short summary
Air pollution concentrations have high spatial variability that is not captured by regulatory monitoring. We developed and evaluated a mobile laboratory to map hundreds of gas and particle phase pollutants at meter-level resolution with open hardware and software designs. This open-design will help researchers deploy similar tools to evaluate local air quality issues from a huge variety of sources.
Air pollution concentrations have high spatial variability that is not captured by regulatory...
