Temporal Trends in Atmospheric PM2.5, PM10, Elemental Carbon, Organic Carbon, Water-Soluble Organic Carbon, and Optical Properties: Impact of Biomass Burning Emissions in The Indo-Gangetic Plain

2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 686-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirpa Ram ◽  
M. M. Sarin ◽  
S. N. Tripathi
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Indo Gangetic Plain ◽  
Atmospheric Pm2.5

scholarly journals Optical properties of elemental carbon and water-soluble organic carbon in Beijing, China

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 6221-6258
Author(s):  
Y. Cheng ◽  
K.-B. He ◽  
M. Zheng ◽  
F.-K. Duan ◽  
Y.-L. Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Light Absorption ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Brown Carbon ◽  
Sulphate Concentration ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon

Abstract. The mass absorption cross-section (MAC) of elemental carbon (EC) in Beijing was quantified using a thermal-optical carbon analyzer and the influences of mixing state and sources of carbonaceous aerosol were investigated. The MAC measured at 632 nm was 29.0 and 32.0 m2 g−1 during winter and summer respectively. MAC correlated well with the organic carbon (OC) to EC ratio (R2 = 0.91) which includes important information about the extent of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production, indicating the enhancement of MAC by coating with SOA. The extrapolated MAC value was 10.5 m2 g−1 when the OC to EC ratio is zero, which was 5.6 m2 g−1 after correction by the enhancement factor (1.87) caused by the artifacts associated with the "filter-based" methods. The MAC also increased with sulphate (R2 = 0.84) when the sulphate concentration was below 10 μg m−3, whereas MAC and sulphate were only weekly related when the sulphate concentration was above 10 μg m−3, indicating the MAC of EC was also enhanced by coating with sulphate. Based on a converting approach that accounts for the discrepancy caused by measurements methods of both light absorption and EC concentration, previously published MAC values were converted to the "equivalent MAC", which is the estimated value if using the same measurement methods as used in this study. The "equivalent MAC" was found to be much lower in the regions heavily impacted by biomass burning (e.g., India), probably due to the influence of brown carbon. Optical properties of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in Beijing were also presented. Light absorption by WSOC exhibited strong wavelength (λ) dependence such that absorption varied approximately as λ−7, which was characteristic of the brown carbon spectra. The mass absorption efficiency (σabs) of WSOC (measured at 365 nm) was 1.83 and 0.70 m2 g−1 during winter and summer respectively. The seasonal pattern of σabs was attributed to the difference in the precursors of SOA, because WSOC in Beijing has been demonstrated to be strongly linked to SOA. Moreover, the σabs of WSOC in Beijing was much higher than results from the southeastern United States which were obtained using the same method as used in this study, perhaps due to the influence of biomass burning.

scholarly journals Water-soluble organic carbon aerosols during a full New Delhi winter: Isotope-based source apportionment and optical properties

2014 ◽  
Vol 119 (6) ◽  
pp. 3476-3485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena N. Kirillova ◽  
August Andersson ◽  
Suresh Tiwari ◽  
Atul Kumar Srivastava ◽  
Deewan Singh Bisht ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Aerosols

Aerosol acidity and its neutralization in the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain: implications for water-soluble organic carbon

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bijay Sharma ◽  
Anuraag J. Polana ◽  
Prashant Rawat ◽  
Sayantan Sarkar
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Site ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Dual Function ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Desert Dust ◽  
Post Monsoon ◽  
Aerosol Acidity ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Indo Gangetic Plain

<p>Aerosol acidity plays an important role in influencing precipitation pH, which has impacts on the environment as well as human health. It also has significance in shaping aerosol chemistry, including the catalytic formation of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), which in turn affects the hygroscopicity of aerosols. Past studies on aerosol acidity in the Indian subcontinent, mostly conducted in biomass burning (BB) source regions in the northwestern and central Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and in western India, have identified Ca<sup>2+</sup> and Mg<sup>2+</sup> sourced from desert dust to be the predominant neutralizing agents. However, the prevalence of desert dust decreases progressively along the IGP corridor and is potentially rendered insignificant in the eastern IGP (eIGP). As such, there exists a critical weakness in our understanding of the processes governing aerosol acidity and its neutralization in the eIGP. To address this, the present study reports the seasonal variability of ionic species, WSOC and associated aerosol acidity in ambient PM<sub>2.5</sub> from a rural receptor site in the eIGP. To this end, a total of 88 PM<sub>2.5</sub> samples collected during the summer, post-monsoon and winter seasons of 2018 were analyzed for SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup>, NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>, Cl<sup>-</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup>, NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, F<sup>-</sup>, PO<sub>4</sub><sup>3-</sup> and WSOC, followed by estimation of strong acidity. Across all seasons, the aerosol phase was dominated by SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup>, NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> and NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>, with values increasing by factors of 1.8-1.9, 1.4-2.9 and 1.8-11, respectively, for the regional BB-dominated post-monsoon and winter seasons as compared to summer. Significant positive Cl<sup>-</sup> depletion in summer pointed towards the influx of marine air while negative depletion in post-monsoon and winter suggested a BB source, which was further supported by concentration-weighted trajectory analysis. The averaged pH of the aerosol extract decreased progressively from summer (5.5±0.4) to winter (4.5±0.2). NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> was observed to be the major acid-neutralizing agent across all seasons, with dust-derived Ca<sup>2+</sup> and Mg<sup>2+</sup> playing only minor roles. In general, WSOC formation is known to be catalyzed by the presence of excess acidity; however, during winter, it appeared that the regional transport of organic acids in the BB plume contributed to aerosol acidity at this receptor site (r=0.92; p<0.01 for WSOC and H<sup>+</sup>). BB-derived K<sup>+</sup> appeared to perform a dual function of neutralizing acidity as well as producing it via reactions with WSOC during atmospheric transport. The wintertime acidity was also strongly governed by aerosol NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> sourced from BB emissions and possibly accentuated via nighttime atmospheric chemistry at lower ambient temperatures, resulting in the formation of haze. These observations of the NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> and WSOC-driven wintertime acidity, the dual function of K<sup>+</sup> and the dominant role of NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> in neutralization points to complex atmospheric processing of the IGP outflow during its transport to the eastern end of the corridor, which warrants further investigation.</p>

scholarly journals Mass absorption efficiency of elemental carbon and water-soluble organic carbon in Beijing, China

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 11497-11510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Cheng ◽  
K.-B. He ◽  
M. Zheng ◽  
F.-K. Duan ◽  
Z.-Y. Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Light Absorption ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Absorption Efficiency ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Mass Absorption Efficiency

Abstract. The mass absorption efficiency (MAE) of elemental carbon (EC) in Beijing was quantified using a thermal-optical carbon analyzer. The MAE measured at 632 nm was 8.45±1.71 and 9.41±1.92 m2 g−1 during winter and summer respectively. The daily variation of MAE was found to coincide with the abundance of organic carbon (OC), especially the OC to EC ratio, perhaps due to the enhancement by coating with organic aerosol (especially secondary organic aerosol, SOA) or the artifacts resulting from the redistribution of liquid-like organic particles during the filter-based absorption measurements. Using a converting approach that accounts for the discrepancy caused by measurements methods of both light absorption and EC concentration, previously published MAE values were converted to the equivalent-MAE, which is the estimated value if using the same measurement methods as used in this study. The equivalent-MAE was found to be much lower in the regions heavily impacted by biomass burning (e.g., below 2.7 m2 g−1 for two Indian cities). Results from source samples (including diesel exhaust samples and biomass smoke samples) also demonstrated that emissions from biomass burning would decrease the MAE of EC. Moreover, optical properties of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in Beijing were presented. Light absorption by WSOC exhibited strong wavelength (λ) dependence such that absorption varied approximately as λ−7, which was characteristic of the brown carbon spectra. The MAE of WSOC (measured at 365 nm) was 1.79±0.24 and 0.71±0.20 m2 g−1 during winter and summer respectively. The large discrepancy between the MAE of WSOC during winter and summer was attributed to the difference in the precursors of SOA such that anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) should be more important as the precursors of SOA in winter. The MAE of WSOC in Beijing was much higher than results from the southeastern United States which were obtained using the same method as used in this study, perhaps due to the stronger emissions of biomass burning in China.

scholarly journals Significant Seasonal Change in Optical Properties by atmospheric humic-like substances (HULIS) in Water-Soluble Organic Carbon Aerosols

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heejun Han ◽  
Guebuem Kim
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Uv Radiation ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Organic Aerosols ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Photochemical Degradation ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon

Abstract. Atmospheric humic-like substance (HULIS) is an important fraction of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) accounting for the light-absorbing properties of organic aerosols. HULIS is responsible for light-absorbing properties of organic aerosols in the atmosphere. Although various sources of HULIS have been studied extensively, its sinks are poorly constrained. In this study, we found seasonal changes in the optical and chemical characteristics of HULIS and WSOC, which are decreased by approximately 80 % and 30 %, respectively, from the cold season (Oct–Jan) to the warm season (Jun–Sep) due to enhanced solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The dominant role of photochemical degradation on light-absorbing organic aerosols, as a sink of HULIS, was further confirmed based on a laboratory experiment by evaluating impact of UV radiation on the optical properties of HULIS and WSOC contents. Our results suggest that seasonal variation of HULIS in WSOC is resulted mainly by photo-induced degradation in the atmosphere. Thus, photochemical degradation of HULIS seems to play a critical role on seasonal variations in the light-absorbing properties of organic aerosols as well as the biogeochemical impact of WSOC on Earth’s surface.

scholarly journals Estimation of Source-Based Aerosol Optical Properties for Polydisperse Aerosols from Receptor Models

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Jung ◽  
Ji Lee ◽  
Junshik Um ◽  
Seoung Lee ◽  
Young Yoon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Receptor Model ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
Extinction Coefficients ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon

We estimated source-based aerosol optical properties for polydisperse aerosols according to a chemical-species-resolved mass contribution method based on source apportionment. We investigated the sensitivity of aerosol optical properties based on PM2.5 (particulate matter that have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) monitoring results. These aerosols were composed of ions, metals, elemental carbon, and water-soluble organic carbon which includes humic-like carbon substances and water-soluble organic carbon. We calculated aerosols’ extinction coefficients based on the PM2.5 composition data and the results of a multivariate receptor model (Solver for Mixture Problem model, SMP). Based on the mass concentration of chemical composition and nine sources calculated with the SMP receptor model, we estimated the size-resolved mass extinction efficiencies for each aerosol source using a multilinear regression model. Consequently, this study quantitatively determined the size resolved sources contributing to the apportionment-based aerosol optical properties and calculated their respective contributions. The results show that source-resolved mass concentrations and extinction coefficients had varying contributions. This discrepancy between the source-based mass concentration and extinction coefficient was mainly due to differences between the source-dependent aerosol size distribution and the aerosol optical properties from different sources.

scholarly journals Investigating the evolution of water-soluble organic carbon in evaporating cloud water

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikram Pratap ◽  
Amy E. Christiansen ◽  
Annmarie G. Carlton ◽  
Sara Lance ◽  
Paul Casson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Cloud Water ◽  
Atmospheric Particles ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Secondary Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon

Cloud cycling plays a key role in the evolution of atmospheric particles and gases, producing secondary aerosol mass and transforming the optical properties and impacts of aerosols globally.

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