stevanovic-insightsintothe-2015.pdf (4.27 MB)
Insights into the growth of newly formed particles in a subtropical urban environment
journal contribution
posted on 2015-12-07, 00:00 authored by F Salimi, L R Crilley, Svetlana StevanovicSvetlana Stevanovic, Z Ristovski, M Mazaheri, C He, G Johnson, G Ayoko, L MorawskaThe role of different chemical compounds, particularly organics, involved in the new particle formation (NPF) and its consequent growth are not fully understood. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the chemical composition of aerosol particles during NPF events in an urban subtropical environment. Aerosol chemical composition was measured along with particle number size distribution (PNSD) and several other air quality parameters at five sites across an urban subtropical environment. An Aerodyne compact Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (c-ToF-AMS) and a TSI Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) measured aerosol chemical composition (particles above 50 nm in vacuum aerodynamic diameter) and PNSD (particles within 9-414 nm in mobility diameter), respectively. Five NPF events, with growth rates in the range 3.3-4.6 nm, were detected at two of the sites. The NPF events happened on relatively warmer days with lower condensation sink (CS). Temporal percent fractions of organics increased after the particles grew enough to have a significant contribution to particle volume, while the mass fraction of ammonium and sulfate decreased. This uncovered the important role of organics in the growth of newly formed particles. Three organic markers, factors F43, F44 and F57, were calculated and the F44 vs. F43 trends were3 compared between nucleation and non-nucleation days. K-means cluster analysis was performed on F44 vs. F43 data and it was found that they follow different patterns on nucleation days compared to non-nucleation days, whereby F43 decreased for vehicle-emission-generated particles, while both F44 and F43 decreased for NPF-generated particles. It was found for the first time that vehicle-generated and newly formed particles cluster in different locations on F44 vs. F43 plot, and this finding can be potentially used as a tool for source apportionment of measured particles.
History
Journal
Atmospheric chemistry and physicsVolume
15Issue
23Pagination
13475 - 13485Publisher
European Geosciences UnionLocation
Katlenburg-Lindau, GermanyPublisher DOI
Link to full text
ISSN
1680-7316eISSN
1680-7324Language
engPublication classification
C Journal article; C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2015, The AuthorsUsage metrics
Keywords
subtropical urban environmentnewly formed particlesgrowthnew particle formation (NPF)particle number size distribution (PNSD)Science & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicinePhysical SciencesEnvironmental SciencesMeteorology & Atmospheric SciencesEnvironmental Sciences & EcologyAEROSOL MASS-SPECTROMETERATMOSPHERIC AEROSOLSCHEMICAL-COMPOSITIONSIZE DISTRIBUTIONSNUCLEATION EVENTSCHEMISTRYEMISSIONSREMOTEAtmospheric Sciences
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