1State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
2School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
3College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
4State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather & Key Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Composition, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
5Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
6Aerodyne Research Inc., Billerica, Massachusetts 01821, USA
7School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
8School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
9Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
anow at: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
1State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
2School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
3College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
4State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather & Key Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Composition, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
5Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
6Aerodyne Research Inc., Billerica, Massachusetts 01821, USA
7School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
8School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
9Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
anow at: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Received: 01 Dec 2020 – Accepted for review: 21 Dec 2020 – Discussion started: 28 Dec 2020
Abstract. Particulate organic nitrates (pON) are an important component of secondary organic aerosol in biogenic emission dominant environments, and play a critical role in NOx cycles. However, estimation of pON has been a challenge in polluted environments, e.g., North China Plain with high concentrations of inorganic nitrate and NOx. Here we developed a method for estimation of pON from the measurements of high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer coupled with a thermodenuder based on the volatility differences between inorganic nitrate and pON. The results generally correlated well with those estimated from positive matrix factorization of combined organic and inorganic mass spectra and from the ratio of NO+ to NO2+ (NOx+ ratio), yet had improvements in reducing negative values due to the influences of high concentration of inorganic nitrate and constant NOx+ ratio of organic nitrates (RON). By applying this approach to the measurements at an urban (Beijing) and a rural site (Gucheng) in summer and winter in North China Plain, we estimated that the average mass concentrations of NO3,org (1.8 µg m−3 vs.1.0 µg m−3) and pON to OA (27.5 % vs. 14.8 %) were higher in summer than in winter in Beijing, indicating more pON formation in biogenically and anthropogenically mixed environments. In addition, the average NO3,org loading in Gucheng was 1.9 µg m−3, and the pON at the rural site also showed higher contribution to OA than that in Beijing during wintertime due to higher primary emissions and gaseous precursors in Gucheng. In addition, RON was determined and showed considerable differences between day-night and clean-polluted periods, highlighting the complexity of pON compounds from different chemical pathways (e.g., OH and NO3 oxidation) and sources.
Here we developed a method for estimation of Particulate organic nitrates (pON) from the measurements of high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer coupled with a thermodenuder based on the volatility differences between inorganic nitrate and pON. The results generally had improvements in reducing negative values due to the influences of high concentration of inorganic nitrate and constant the ratio of NO+ to NO2+ of organic nitrates (RON).
Here we developed a method for estimation of Particulate organic nitrates (pON) from the...