scholarly journals Seasonal dynamics of atmospheric and river inputs of black carbon, and impacts on biogeochemical cycles in Halong Bay, Vietnam

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Mari ◽  
Thuoc Chu Van ◽  
Benjamin Guinot ◽  
Justine Brune ◽  
Jean-Pierre Lefebvre ◽  
...  

Emissions of black carbon (BC), a product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass, are high in the Asia-Pacific region, yet input pathways and rates to the ocean are not well constrained. Atmospheric and riverine inputs of BC in Halong Bay (Vietnam), a hotspot of atmospheric BC, were studied at monthly intervals during one year. Climate in Halong Bay is governed by the monsoon regime, characterized by a northeast winter monsoon (dry season) and southeast summer monsoon (wet season). During the dry season, atmospheric BC concentrations averaged twice those observed during the wet season. In the sea surface microlayer (SML) and underlying water (ULW), concentrations of particulate BC (PBC) averaged 539 and 11 µmol C L–1, respectively. Dissolved BC (DBC) concentrations averaged 2.6 µmol C L–1 in both the SML and ULW. Seasonal variations indicated that PBC concentration in the SML was controlled by atmospheric deposition during the dry season, while riverine inputs controlled both PBC and DBC concentrations in ULW during the wet season. Spatiotemporal variations of PBC and DBC during the wet season suggest that river runoff was efficient in transporting PBC that had accumulated on land during the dry season, and in mobilizing and transporting DBC to the ocean. The annual river flux of PBC was about 3.8 times higher than that of DBC. The monsoon regime controls BC input to Halong Bay by favoring dry deposition of BC originating from the north during the dry season, and wet deposition and river runoff during the wet season. High PBC concentrations seem to enhance the transfer of organic carbon from dissolved to particulate phase by adsorbing dissolved organic carbon and stimulating aggregation. Such processes may impact the availability and biogeochemical cycling of other dissolved substances, including nutrients, for the coastal marine ecosystem.

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S. Pradeep Ram ◽  
X. Mari ◽  
J. Brune ◽  
J.P. Torréton ◽  
V.T. Chu ◽  
...  

Increasing human activity has raised concerns about the impact of deposition of anthropogenic combustion aerosols (i.e., black carbon; BC) on marine processes. The sea surface microlayer (SML) is a key gate for the introduction of atmospheric BC into the ocean; however, relatively little is known of the effects of BC on bacteria-virus interactions, which can strongly influence microbially mediated processes. To study the impact of BC on bacteria-virus interactions, field investigations involving collection from the SML and underlying water were carried out in Halong Bay (Vietnam). Most inorganic nutrient concentrations, as well as dissolved organic carbon, were modestly but significantly higher (p = 0.02–0.05) in the SML than in underlying water. The concentrations of particulate organic carbon (though not chlorophyll a) and of total particulate carbon, which was composed largely of particulate BC (mean = 1.7 ± 6.4 mmol L–1), were highly enriched in the SML, and showed high variability among stations. On average, microbial abundances (both bacteria and viruses) and bacterial production were 2- and 5fold higher, respectively, in the SML than in underlying water. Significantly lower bacterial production (p < 0.01) was observed in the particulate fraction (>3 µm) compared to the bulk sample, but our data overall suggest that bacterial production in the SML was stimulated by particulate BC. Higher bacterial production in the SML than in underlying water supported high viral lytic infection rates (from 5.3 to 30.1%) which predominated over percent lysogeny (from undetected to 1.4%). The sorption of dissolved organic carbon by black carbon, accompanied by the high lytic infection rate in the black carbon-enriched SML, may modify microbially mediated processes and shift the net ecosystem metabolism (ratio of production and respiration) to net heterotrophy and CO2 production in this critical layer between ocean and atmosphere.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Josipovic ◽  
Catherine Leal-Liousse ◽  
Belinda Crobeddu ◽  
Armelle Baeza-Squiban ◽  
C. Keitumetse Segakweng ◽  
...  

This study aimed to characterise aerosols sampled in the vicinity of a major industrialised area, i.e. the Vaal Triangle. It included thedetermination of oxidative potential as a predictive indicator of particle toxicity. Aerosol samples were collated through the cascadefiltering during an eight-month period (12 h over three days in one week). Three size fractions were analysed for organic carbon(OC), black carbon (BC) and oxidative potential (OP), while ionic content was presented as monthly and seasonal concentrations. Thecontinuous measurement of black carbon by an optical attenuation instrument was collated concurrently with cascade filtering. Thecarbonaceous content was low compared to the ionic one. Within the carbonaceous concentrations, the organic carbon was higherthan concentrations of black carbon in both seasons in the ultra-fine fraction; the opposite was the case for the fine fraction, whilethe coarse fraction concentrations of organic carbon in the dry season had higher concentrations than black carbon in the wet seasonand organic carbon in the wet season. The OP tended to increase as the size was decreasing for wet season aerosols, whereas, forthe dry season, the highest OP was exerted by the fine fraction. The ultrafine fraction was the one showing the most contrasting OPbetween the two seasons. Continuous monitoring indicated that the higher BC concentrations were recorded in the dry/winter partof the year, with the daily pattern of concentrations being typically bimodal, having both the morning and evening peaks in bothseasons. Within the ionic content, the dominance of sulphate, nitrate and ammonium was evident. Multiple linear correlations wereperformed between all determined compounds. Strong correlations of carboxylic acids with other organic compounds were revealed.These acids point to emissions of VOC, both anthropogenic and biogenic. Since they were equally present in both seasons, a mixtureof sources was responsible, both present in the wider area and throughout the year.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Yin Sun ◽  
Cheng Wu ◽  
Dui Wu ◽  
Chunlei Cheng ◽  
Mei Li ◽  
...  

Abstract. Black carbon (BC) is an important climate forcer in the atmosphere. Amplification of light absorption can occur by coatings on BC aerosols, an effect that remains one of the major sources of uncertainties for accessing the radiative forcing of BC. In this study, the absorption enhancement factor (Eabs) was quantified by the minimum R squared (MRS) method using elemental carbon (EC) as the tracer. Two field campaigns were conducted in urban Guangzhou at the Jinan university super site during both wet season (July 31–September 10, 2017) and dry season (November 15, 2017–January 15, 2018) to explore the temporal dynamics of BC optical properties. The average concentration of EC was 1.94 ± 0.93 and 2.81 ± 2.01 μgC m−3 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. Mass absorption efficiency at 520 nm by primary aerosols (MAEp520) determined by MRS exhibit a strong seasonality (8.6 m2g−1 in the wet season and 16.8 m2g−1 in the dry season). Eabs520 was higher in the wet season (1.51 ± 0.50) and lower in the dry season (1.29 ± 0.28). Absorption Ångström exponent (AAE470-660) in the dry season (1.46 ± 0.12) were higher than that in the wet season (1.37 ± 0.10). Collective evidence showed that the active biomass burning (BB) in dry season effectively altered optical properties of BC, leading to elevated MAE, MAEp and AAE in dry season comparing to those in wet season. Diurnal Eabs520 was positively correlated with AAE470-660 (R2 = 0.71) and negatively correlated with the AE33 aerosol loading compensation parameter (k) (R2 = 0.74) in the wet season, but these correlations were significantly weaker in the dry season, which may be related to the impact of BB. This result suggests that lensing effect was dominating the AAE diurnal variability during the wet season. The effect of secondary processing on Eabs diurnal dynamic were also investigated. The Eabs520 exhibit a clear dependency on secondary organic carbon to organic carbon ratio (SOC/OC). Eabs520 correlated well with nitrate, implying that gas-particle partitioning of semi-volatile compounds may potentially play an important role in steering the diurnal fluctuation of Eabs520. In dry season, the diurnal variability of Eabs520 was associated with photochemical aging as evidenced by the good correlation (R2 = 0.69) between oxidant concentrations (Ox=O3+NO2) and Eabs520.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 2445-2470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Yin Sun ◽  
Cheng Wu ◽  
Dui Wu ◽  
Chunlei Cheng ◽  
Mei Li ◽  
...  

Abstract. Black carbon (BC) aerosols have been widely recognized as a vital climate forcer in the atmosphere. Amplification of light absorption can occur due to coatings on BC during atmospheric aging, an effect that remains uncertain in accessing the radiative forcing of BC. Existing studies on the absorption enhancement factor (Eabs) have poor coverage on both seasonal and diurnal scales. In this study, we applied a recently developed minimum R squared (MRS) method, which can cover both seasonal and diurnal scales, for Eabs quantification. Using field measurement data in Guangzhou, the aims of this study are to explore (1) the temporal dynamics of BC optical properties at seasonal (wet season, 31 July–10 September; dry season, 15 November 2017–15 January 2018) and diel scales (1 h time resolution) in the typical urban environment and (2) the influencing factors on Eabs temporal variability. Mass absorption efficiency at 520 nm by primary aerosols (MAEp520) determined by the MRS method exhibited a strong seasonality (8.6 m2 g−1 in the wet season and 16.8 m2 g−1 in the dry season). Eabs520 was higher in the wet season (1.51±0.50) and lower in the dry season (1.29±0.28). Absorption Ångström exponent (AAE470–660) in the dry season (1.46±0.12) was higher than that in the wet season (1.37±0.10). Collective evidence showed that the active biomass burning (BB) in the dry season effectively altered the optical properties of BC, leading to elevated MAE, MAEp and AAE in the dry season compared to those in the wet season. Diurnal Eabs520 was positively correlated with AAE470–660 (R2=0.71) and negatively correlated with the AE33 aerosol loading compensation parameter (k) (R2=0.74) in the wet season, but these correlations were significantly weaker in the dry season, which may be related to the impact of BB. This result suggests that during the wet season, the lensing effect was more likely dominating the AAE diurnal variability rather than the contribution from brown carbon (BrC). Secondary processing can affect Eabs diurnal dynamics. The Eabs520 exhibited a clear dependency on the ratio of secondary organic carbon to organic carbon (SOC∕OC), confirming the contribution of secondary organic aerosols to Eabs; Eabs520 correlated well with nitrate and showed a clear dependence on temperature. This new finding implies that gas–particle partitioning of semivolatile compounds may potentially play an important role in steering the diurnal fluctuation of Eabs520. In the dry season, the diurnal variability in Eabs520 was associated with photochemical aging as evidenced by the good correlation (R2=0.69) between oxidant concentrations (Ox=O3+NO2) and Eabs520.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma Yining ◽  
Xin Jinyuan

<p><strong>Abstract:</strong> Ecological region in southern China has been perennially affected by monsoon climate and anthropogenic emissions, resulting in complex aerosol components and frequent long-range transport. In this study, a Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model is applied to estimate aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) and multiple aerosol observation datasets is used to estimate the aerosol chemical components and optical properties. The aerosol loading and the radiative effects in the ecological region exhibited strong seasonal changes. The average major components (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>, NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>, SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>) in Total water soluble ionic (TWSI) ,organic carbon (OC) concentration, the ratio of organic carbon to element carbon (OC/EC) and biogenic secondary organic aerosol (BSOA) tracers were 3.20±1.22 μg·m<sup>-3</sup>, 2.19±1.39 μg·m<sup>-3</sup>, 3.17 and 74.00±35.23 ng·m<sup>-3 </sup>in the dry season and 2.22±0.91 μg·m<sup>-3</sup>, 3.14±1.62 μg·m<sup>-3</sup>, 7.13 and 186.34±113.82 ng·m<sup>-3</sup> in the wet season, respectively. The average radiative forcing at the top of atmosphere (TOA) is -11.73±11.36 W/m<sup>2</sup> and -0.41±10.08 W/m<sup>2</sup> in dry and wet season. When the aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) less than 0.9, the retrieve frequency in wet season reached account for 75%. The increase of OC and BSOA transformed by forests in the wet season weaken the cooling effects. However, the dry season is mainly composed of anthropogenic inorganic aerosols, which enhances the scattering effect. The aerosol observation baseline also verified the seasonal variation of ARF in the ecological region. Driven by multiple factors such as meteorological conditions, emission sources, and the mixed state of particulate matter, the transport patterns of air masses in ecological area exhibits completely opposite affects to ARF.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 5327-5354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aka Jacques Adon ◽  
Catherine Liousse ◽  
Elhadji Thierno Doumbia ◽  
Armelle Baeza-Squiban ◽  
Hélène Cachier ◽  
...  

Abstract. Urban air pollution in West Africa has yet to be well characterized. In the frame of DACCIWA (Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa) program, intensive measurement campaigns were performed in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) and Cotonou (Benin), in dry (January 2016 and 2017) and wet (July 2015 and 2016) seasons, at different sites chosen to be representative of African urban combustion sources, i.e., domestic fires (ADF), traffic (AT) and waste burning (AWB) sources in Abidjan and traffic source in Cotonou (CT). Both the size distribution of particulate matter (PM) and their chemical composition including elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), water-soluble inorganic ions (WSI) and trace metals were examined. Results show very high PM concentrations at all sites and a well-marked seasonality as well as a strong spatial variation. The average PM2.5 mass concentrations during the wet season are 517.3, 104.1, 90.3, and 69.1 µg m−3 at the ADF, CT, AT, and AWB sites, respectively. In the dry season, PM2.5 concentrations decrease to 375.7 µg m−3 at the ADF site, while they increase to 269.7, 141.3, and 175.3 µg m−3 at the CT, AT, and AWB sites, respectively. The annual PM2.5 levels at almost all sites are significantly higher than the WHO guideline level of 10 µg m−3. As for PM mass, (EC) and (OC) concentrations are also maximal at the ADF site, accounting for up to 69 % of the total PM mass. Such a high content is mainly linked to wood burning for domestic cooking and commercial food smoking activities. Dust contributions are dominant at CT (57 %–80 %), AT (20 %–70 %), and AWB (30 %–69 %) sites and especially in the coarse and fine-particle modes at the CT site and in the coarse fraction at the AT site, which may be explained by the impact of long-range desert-dust transport and resuspended particles from the roads, in addition to anthropogenic sources. The contributions of WSI to the total PM mass, mainly driven by chloride, nitrate, and calcium in the fine and/or large particles, are highly variable according to the sites but remain less than 30 %. Values are generally 1–3 times higher in the wet season than in the dry season. This is due not only to anthropogenic emissions but also to nitrate formation by reaction processes and natural emissions. The concentrations of trace elements reflect well the trends in dust at the traffic and AWB sites, with a predominance of Al, Na, Ca, Fe, and K, keys markers of crustal dust. This study constitutes an original database that characterizes specific African combustion sources.


2005 ◽  
Vol 96 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 331-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. García-Flor ◽  
C. Guitart ◽  
M. Ábalos ◽  
J. Dachs ◽  
J.M. Bayona ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Wilmer Sánchez ◽  
Carl Schmitt ◽  
Alexzander Santiago ◽  
Gerles Medina

The role of Black Carbon (BC) as a contributor to glacial retreat is of particular interest to the scientific community and decision makers, due to its impact on snow albedo and glacier melt. In this study, a thermal-optical instrument (LAHM) was used to measure effective Black Carbon (eBC) in a series of surface snow samples collected from the Vallunaraju glacier, Cordillera Blanca, between April 2019 and May 2020. The time series obtained indicates a marked seasonal variability of eBC with maximum concentrations during the dry season and dramatic decrease during the wet season. The concentrations detected ranged between a minimum of 3.73 ng/g and 4.23 ng/g during the wet season and a maximum of 214.13 ng/g and 181.60 ng/g during the dry season, in the accumulation and ablation zone. Using SNICAR model, the reduction of albedo was estimated at 6.36% and 6.60% during the dry season and 0.68% and 0.95% during the wet season, which represents an average radiative forcing of 4.52 ± 1.84 W/m2 and 4.69 ± 1.59 W/m2 in the accumulation zone, and 0.49 ± 0.27 W/m2 and 0.68 ± 0.43 W/m2 in the ablation zone. The melting of snow due to the eBC translates into 80.18 ± 37.30 kg/m2 and 83.16 ± 32.75 kg/m2 during the dry season, and 7.91 ± 4.29 kg/m2 and 10.85 ± 6.62 kg/m2 during the wet season, in the accumulation and ablation zones, respectively. Finally, the HYSPLIT trajectory assessment shows that aerosols predominate in the Amazon rainforest, especially when forest fires are most abundant according to VIIRS images.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 2975-2988 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Stolle ◽  
K. Nagel ◽  
M. Labrenz ◽  
K. Jürgens

Abstract. The sea-surface microlayer (SML) is located within the boundary between the atmosphere and hydrosphere. The high spatial and temporal variability of the SML's properties, however, have hindered a clear understanding of interactions between biotic and abiotic parameters at or across the air-water interface. Among the factors changing the physical and chemical environment of the SML, wind speed is an important one. In order to examine the temporal effects of minimized wind influence, SML samples were obtained from the coastal zone of the southern Baltic Sea and from mesocosm experiments in a marina to study naturally and artificially calmed sea surfaces. Organic matter concentrations as well as abundance, 3H-thymidine incorporation, and the community composition of bacteria in the SML (bacterioneuston) compared to the underlying bulk water (ULW) were analyzed. In all SML samples, dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen were only slightly enriched and showed low temporal variability, whereas particulate organic carbon and nitrogen were generally greatly enriched and highly variable. This was especially pronounced in a dense surface film (slick) that developed during calm weather conditions as well as in the artificially calmed mesocosms. Overall, bacterioneuston abundance and productivity correlated with changing concentrations of particulate organic matter. Moreover, changes in the community composition in the field study were stronger in the particle-attached than in the non-attached bacterioneuston. This implies that decreasing wind enhances the importance of particle-attached assemblages and finally induces a succession of the bacterial community in the SML. Eventually, under very calm meteorological conditions, there is an uncoupling of the bacterioneuston from the ULW.


Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela van Pinxteren ◽  
Stefan Barthel ◽  
Khanneh Wadinga Fomba ◽  
Konrad Müller ◽  
Wolf von Tümpling ◽  
...  

The export of organic matter from ocean to atmosphere represents a substantial carbon flux in the Earth system, yet the impact of environmental drivers on this transfer is not fully understood. This work presents dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC, POC) concentrations, their enrichment factors in the sea surface microlayer (SML), and equivalent measurements in marine aerosol particles across the Atlantic Ocean. DOC concentrations averaged 161 ± 139 µmol L–1 (n = 78) in bulk seawater and 225 ± 175 µmol L–1 (n = 79) in the SML; POC concentrations averaged 13 ± 11 µmol L–1 (n = 80) and 17 ± 10 µmol L–1 (n = 80), respectively. High DOC and POC enrichment factors were observed when samples had low concentrations, and lower enrichments when concentrations were high. The impacts of wind speed and chlorophyll-a levels on concentrations and enrichment of DOC and POC in seawater were insignificant. In ambient submicron marine aerosol particles the concentration of water-soluble organic carbon was approximately 0.2 µg m–3. Water-insoluble organic carbon concentrations varied between 0.01 and 0.9 µg m–3, with highest concentrations observed when chlorophyll-a concentrations were high. Concerted measurements of bulk seawater, the SML and aerosol particles enabled calculation of enrichment factors of organic carbon in submicron marine ambient aerosols, which ranged from 103 to 104 during periods of low chlorophyll-a concentrations and up to 105 when chlorophyll-a levels were high. The results suggest that elevated local biological activity enhances the enrichment of marine-sourced organic carbon on aerosol particles. However, implementation of the results in source functions based on wind speed and chlorophyll-a concentrations underestimated the organic fraction at low biological activity by about 30%. There may be additional atmospheric and oceanic parameters to consider for accurately predicting organic fractions on aerosol particles.


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