Diesel Soot and Amine-Containing Organic Sulfate Aerosols in an Arctic Oil Field

The rapid decrease in Arctic sea ice is motivating development and increasing oil and gas extraction activities. However, few observations of these local Arctic emissions exist, limiting the understanding of impacts on atmospheric composition and climate. To address this knowledge gap, the chemical...

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Published inEnvironmental science & technology Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 92 - 101
Main Authors Gunsch, Matthew J, Liu, Jun, Moffett, Claire E, Sheesley, Rebecca J, Wang, Ningxin, Zhang, Qi, Watson, Thomas B, Pratt, Kerri A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Chemical Society 07.01.2020
Subjects
Aerosols
Air masses
Atmospheric aerosols
Atmospheric composition
Chemical composition
Chemical speciation
Diesel
Emissions
Ice environments
Oil and gas fields
Oil fields
Organic carbon
Organic chemistry
Plumes
Salts
Sea ice
Soot
Speciation
Sulfates
Sulfur dioxide
Ultrafines
Arctic region
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Summary:The rapid decrease in Arctic sea ice is motivating development and increasing oil and gas extraction activities. However, few observations of these local Arctic emissions exist, limiting the understanding of impacts on atmospheric composition and climate. To address this knowledge gap, the chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols was measured within the North Slope of Alaska oil fields during August and September 2016 using an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) and a time-of-flight aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ToF-ACSM). Plumes from oil and gas extraction activities were characterized by soot internally mixed with sulfate (matching diesel soot) and organic carbon particles containing aminium sulfate salts. Sea spray aerosol at the coastal site was frequently internally mixed with sulfate and nitrate, from multiphase chemical processing from elevated NO x and SO2 within the oil field. Background (nonplume) air masses were characterized by aged combustion aerosol. No periods of “clean” (nonpolluted) Arctic air were observed. The composition of the nonrefractory aerosol measured with the ACSM was similar during plume and background periods and was consistent with the mass concentrations of nonrefractory particles measured by ATOFMS. Two ultrafine aerosol growth events were observed during oil field background periods and were correlated with fine mode amine-containing particles.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/acs.est.9b04825