Brown carbon light absorption over an urban environment in northern peninsular Southeast Asia

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 276; p. 116735
• Main Authors: Pani, Shantanu Kumar, Lin, Neng-Huei, Griffith, Stephen M., Chantara, Somporn, Lee, Chung-Te, Thepnuan, Duangduean, Tsai, Ying I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2021
• Subjects: absorption; Absorption Ångström exponent; aerosols; Aerosols - analysis; Air Pollutants - analysis; Asia, Southeastern; biofuels; Biomass; Biomass burning; Carbon - analysis; Chiang Mai; climate change; combustion; Environmental Monitoring; fossil fuels; Imaginary part of refractive index; Mass absorption cross-section; organic carbon; photochemistry; pollution; refractive index; Thailand; urban areas; Asia, Southeastern; Thailand; Imaginary part of refractive index; Absorption Ångström exponent; Biomass burning; Chiang Mai; Mass absorption cross-section
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116735

Light-absorbing organic carbon (or brown carbon, BrC) has been recognized as a critical driver in regional-to-global climate change on account of its significant contribution to light absorption. BrC sources vary from primary combustion processes (burning of biomass, biofuel, and fossil fuel) to secondary formation in the atmosphere. This paper investigated the light-absorbing properties of BrC such as site-specific mass absorption cross-section (MACBrC), absorption Ångström exponent (AAEBrC), and the absorbing component of the refractive index (kBrC) by using light absorption measurements from a 7-wavelength aethalometer over an urban environment of Chiang Mai, Thailand in northern peninsular Southeast Asia (PSEA), from March to April 2016. The contribution of BrC to total aerosol absorption (mean ± SD) was 46 ± 9%, 29 ± 7%, 24 ± 6%, 20 ± 4%, and 15 ± 3% at 370, 470, 520, 590, and 660 nm, respectively, highlighting the significant influence of BrC absorption on the radiative imbalance over northern PSEA. Strong and significant associations between BrC light absorption and biomass-burning (BB) organic tracers highlighted the influence of primary BB emissions. The median MACBrC and kBrC values at 370 nm were 2.4 m2 g−1 and 0.12, respectively. The fractional contribution of solar radiation absorbed by BrC relative to BC (mean ± SD) in the 370–950 nm range was estimated to be 34 ± 7%, which can significantly influence the regional radiation budget and consequently atmospheric photochemistry. This study provides valuable information to understand BrC absorption over northern PSEA and can be used in model simulations to reassess the regional climatic impact with greater accuracy. [Display omitted] •Aerosol light absorption due to BC and BrC were partitioned based on the AÅE method.•BrC contributed about 46% to total light absorption at 370 nm.•The MAC value of BrC was 2.4 ± 0.3 m2 g−1at 370 nm.•Biomass burning was the significant source of BrC during the dry season.•Averaged contribution of direct radiative forcing of BrC to that of BC was 34 ± 7%.