Chemical characterization of submicron regional background aerosols in the Western Mediterranean using an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Chemical characterization of submicron regional background aerosols in the Western Mediterranean using an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor

Published:2015-01-12 Issue: Volume: Page:
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Minguillón M. C.^ORCID,Ripoll A.,Pérez N.,Prévôt A. S. H.,Canonaco F.,Querol X.,Alastuey A.^ORCID

Abstract

Abstract. An Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM, Aerodyne Research Inc.) was deployed at Montseny (MSY, 720 m a.s.l.) regional background site in the Western Mediterranean from June 2012 to July 2013 to measure real-time inorganic (nitrate, sulphate, ammonium and chloride) and organic submicron aerosol concentrations. Co-located measurements were also carried out including real-time submicron particulate matter (PM1) and black carbon (BC) concentrations, and off-line PM1 chemical analysis. This is one of the few studies that compare ACSM data with off-line PM1 measurements, avoiding the tail of the coarse mode included in the PM2.5 fraction. The ACSM + BC concentrations agreed with the PM1 measurements, and strong correlation was found between the concentrations of ACSM species and the off-line measurements, although some discrepancies remain unexplained. Results point to a current underestimation of the relative ionization efficiency (RIE) established for organic aerosol (OA), which should be revised in the future. The OA was the major component of submicron aerosol (53% of PM1), with a higher contribution in summer (58% of PM1) than in winter (45% of PM1). Source apportionment of OA was carried out by applying Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) using the Multilinear Engine (ME-2) to the organic mass spectral data matrix. Three sources were identified in summer: hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), low-volatile oxygenated OA (LV-OOA), and semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA). The secondary OA (SOA, 4.7 μg m−3, sum of LV-OOA and SV-OOA) accounted for 85% of the total OA and its formation during daytime (mainly SV-OOA) was estimated to be 1.1 μg m−3. In winter, HOA was also identified (12% of OA), a contribution from biomass burning OA was included, and it was not possible to differentiate two different SOA factors but a single OOA factor was resolved. The OOA contribution represented the 60% of the total OA, with a degree of oxidation higher than both OOA summer factors. An intense wildfire episode was studied obtaining a region-specific BBOA profile.

Funder

European Commission

Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca

Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

Publisher

Copernicus GmbH

Link

https://acp.copernicus.org/preprints/15/965/2015/acpd-15-965-2015.pdf

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