Mass spectral characterization of primary emissions and implications in source apportionment of organic aerosol
Source apportionment of organic aerosol (OA) from aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) or aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) measurements relies largely upon mass spectral profiles from different source emissions. However, the changes in mass spectra of primary emissions from AMS–ACSM with the ne...
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Published in | Atmospheric measurement techniques Vol. 13; no. 6; pp. 3205 - 3219 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Katlenburg-Lindau
Copernicus GmbH
18.06.2020
Copernicus Publications |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Source apportionment of organic aerosol (OA) from aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) or aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM)
measurements relies largely upon mass spectral profiles from different source emissions. However, the changes in mass spectra of primary emissions
from AMS–ACSM with the newly developed capture vaporizer (CV) are poorly understood. Here we conducted 21 cooking, crop straw, wood, and coal
burning experiments to characterize the mass spectral features of OA and water-soluble OA (WSOA) using SV-AMS and CV-ACSM. Our results show overall
similar spectral characteristics between SV-AMS and CV-ACSM for different primary emissions despite additional thermal decomposition in CV, and the
previous spectral features for diagnostics of primary OA factors are generally well retained. However, the mass spectral differences between OA and
WSOA can be substantial for both SV-AMS and CV-ACSM. The changes in f55 (fraction of m∕z 55 in OA) vs. f57, f44
vs. f60, and f44 vs. f43 in CV-ACSM are also observed, yet the evolving trends are similar to those of SV-AMS. By applying the source
spectral profiles to a winter CV-ACSM study at a highly polluted rural site in the North China Plain, the source apportionment of primary OA was much
improved, highlighting the two most important primary sources of biomass burning and coal combustion (32 % and 21 %). Considering the rapidly
increasing deployments of CV-ACSM and WSOA studies worldwide, the mass spectral characterization has significant implications by providing essential
constraints for more accurate source apportionment and making better strategies for air pollution control in regions with diverse primary emissions. |
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ISSN: | 1867-8548 1867-1381 1867-8548 |
DOI: | 10.5194/amt-13-3205-2020 |