https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1965-2015

Research article

06 May 2015

Research article |

| 06 May 2015

The "dual-spot" Aethalometer: an improved measurement of aerosol black carbon with real-time loading compensation

L. Drinovec,G. Močnik,P. Zotter,A. S. H. Prévôt,C. Ruckstuhl,E. Coz,M. Rupakheti,J. Sciare,T. Müller,A. Wiedensohler,andA. D. A. Hansen

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Optical properties and simple forcing efficiency of the organic aerosols and black carbon emitted by residential wood burning in rural central Europe

Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, Kristina Glojek, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Asta Gregorič, Martin Rigler, Matej Ogrin, Baseerat Romshoo, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, Mira Pöhlker, and Thomas Müller

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2583–2605,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2583-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2583-2024, 2024

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This study evaluated the air pollution and climate impacts of residential-wood-burning particle emissions from a rural European site. The authors investigate the optical and physical properties that connect the aerosol emissions with climate by evaluating atmospheric radiative impacts via simple-forcing calculations. The study contributes to reducing the lack of information on the understanding of the optical properties of air pollution from anthropogenic sources.

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A dual-wavelength photothermal aerosol absorption monitor: design, calibration and performance

Luka Drinovec, Uroš Jagodič, Luka Pirker, Miha Škarabot, Mario Kurtjak, Kristijan Vidović, Luca Ferrero, Bradley Visser, Jannis Röhrbein, Ernest Weingartner, Daniel M. Kalbermatter, Konstantina Vasilatou, Tobias Bühlmann, Celine Pascale, Thomas Müller, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Griša Močnik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3805–3825,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3805-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3805-2022, 2022

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A new photothermal interferometer (PTAAM-2λ) for artefact-free determination of the aerosol absorption coefficient at two wavelengths is presented. The instrument is calibrated with NO₂ and polydisperse nigrosin, resulting in very low uncertainties of the absorption coefficients: 4 % at 532 nm and 6 % at 1064 nm. The instrument’s performance makes the PTAAM-2λ a strong candidate for reference measurements of the aerosol absorption coefficient.

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The impact of temperature inversions on black carbon and particle mass concentrations in a mountainous area

Kristina Glojek, Griša Močnik, Honey Dawn C. Alas, Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, Luka Drinovec, Asta Gregorič, Matej Ogrin, Kay Weinhold, Irena Ježek, Thomas Müller, Martin Rigler, Maja Remškar, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Martina Ristorini, Maik Merkel, Miha Markelj, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5577–5601,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5577-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5577-2022, 2022

Short summary

A pilot study to determine the emissions of wood burning underreal-world laboratory conditions was conducted. We found that measured black carbon (eBC) and particulate matter (PM) in rural shallow terrain depressions with residential wood burning could be much greater than predicted by models. The exceeding levels are a cause for concern since similar conditions can be expected in numerous hilly and mountainous regions across Europe, where approximately 20 % of the total population lives.

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Comparing black-carbon- and aerosol-absorption-measuring instruments – a new system using lab-generated soot coated with controlled amounts of secondary organic matter

Daniel M. Kalbermatter, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Bradley Visser, Jannis Röhrbein, Matthias Oscity, Ernest Weingartner, Antti-Pekka Hyvärinen, and Konstantina Vasilatou

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 561–572,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-561-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-561-2022, 2022

Short summary

Soot particles with varying amounts of secondary organic matter coating were generated and used to compare a series of aerosol-absorption-measuring instruments: filter-based and photoacoustic instruments as well as photo-thermal interferometers. Significant deviations in the response of the instruments were observed depending on the amount of secondary organic coating. The system can be used for the inter-comparison and characterisation of instruments.

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Intercomparison and characterization of 23 Aethalometers under laboratory and ambient air conditions: procedures and unit-to-unit variabilities

Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Thomas Müller, Sascha Pfeifer, María Cruz Minguillón, Björn Briel, Paul Buckley, Vadimas Dudoitis, Javier Fernández-García, María Fernández-Amado, Joel Ferreira De Brito, Veronique Riffault, Harald Flentje, Eimear Heffernan, Nikolaos Kalivitis, Athina-Cerise Kalogridis, Hannes Keernik, Luminita Marmureanu, Krista Luoma, Angela Marinoni, Michael Pikridas, Gerhard Schauer, Norbert Serfozo, Henri Servomaa, Gloria Titos, Jesús Yus-Díez, Natalia Zioła, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 3195–3216,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3195-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3195-2021, 2021

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Measurements of black carbon must be conducted with instruments operating in quality-checked and assured conditions to generate reliable and comparable data. Here, 23 Aethalometers monitoring black carbon mass concentrations in European networks were characterized and intercompared. The influence of different aerosol sources, maintenance activities, and the filter material on the instrumental variabilities were investigated. Good agreement and in general low deviations were seen.

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A single-beam photothermal interferometer for in situ measurements of aerosol light absorption

Bradley Visser, Jannis Röhrbein, Peter Steigmeier, Luka Drinovec, Griša Močnik, and Ernest Weingartner

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 7097–7111,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-7097-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-7097-2020, 2020

Short summary

Here we report on the development of a novel single-beam photothermal interferometer and its use in the measurement of aerosol light absorption. We demonstrate how light-absorbing gases can be used to calibrate the instrument and how this absorption is automatically subtracted during normal operation. The performance of the instrument is compared to a standard filter-based instrument using a black carbon test aerosol. The 60 s detection limit is found to be less than 10 Mm^-1.

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The determination of highly time-resolved and source-separated black carbon emission rates using radon as a tracer of atmospheric dynamics

Asta Gregorič, Luka Drinovec, Irena Ježek, Janja Vaupotič, Matevž Lenarčič, Domen Grauf, Longlong Wang, Maruška Mole, Samo Stanič, and Griša Močnik

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 14139–14162,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14139-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14139-2020, 2020

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We present a new method for the determination of highly time-resolved and source-separated black carbon emission rates. The atmospheric dynamics is quantified using the atmospheric radon concentration. Different intensity and daily dynamics of black carbon emission rates for two different environments are presented: urban and rural area. The method can be used to assess the efficiency of pollution mitigation measures, thereby avoiding the influence of variable meteorology.

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The new instrument using a TC–BC (total carbon–black carbon) method for the online measurement of carbonaceous aerosols

Martin Rigler, Luka Drinovec, Gašper Lavrič, Athanasia Vlachou, André S. H. Prévôt, Jean Luc Jaffrezo, Iasonas Stavroulas, Jean Sciare, Judita Burger, Irena Kranjc, Janja Turšič, Anthony D. A. Hansen, and Griša Močnik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 4333–4351,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4333-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4333-2020, 2020

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Carbonaceous aerosols are a large fraction of fine particulate matter. They are extremely diverse, and they directly impact air quality, visibility, cloud formation and public health. In this paper we present a new instrument and new method to measure carbon content in particulate matter in real time and at a high time resolution. The new method was validated in a 1-month winter field campaign in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

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A new optical-based technique for real-time measurements of mineral dust concentration in PM₁₀ using a virtual impactor

Luka Drinovec, Jean Sciare, Iasonas Stavroulas, Spiros Bezantakos, Michael Pikridas, Florin Unga, Chrysanthos Savvides, Bojana Višić, Maja Remškar, and Griša Močnik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3799–3813,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3799-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3799-2020, 2020

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Atmospheric mineral dust influences Earth's radiative budget, has adverse health effects, and affects regulatory PM₁₀ concentrations. We present a highly time resolved online technique for quantification of mineral dust concentration in ambient air. The technique uses a virtual impactor to concentrate coarse particles, where absorption is then measured using a filter photometer. The method was tested in the field at a regional background site on Cyprus.

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On-flight intercomparison of three miniature aerosol absorption sensors using unmanned aerial systems (UASs)

Michael Pikridas, Spiros Bezantakos, Griša Močnik, Christos Keleshis, Fred Brechtel, Iasonas Stavroulas, Gregoris Demetriades, Panayiota Antoniou, Panagiotis Vouterakos, Marios Argyrides, Eleni Liakakou, Luka Drinovec, Eleni Marinou, Vassilis Amiridis, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, and Jean Sciare

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 6425–6447,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6425-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6425-2019, 2019

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This work evaluates the performance of three sensors that monitor black carbon (soot). These sensors exhibit similar behavior to their rack-mounted counterparts and are therefore promising for more extended use. A reconstruction of the black carbon mass vertical distribution above Athens, Greece, is shown using drones, similar to those acquired by remote-sensing techniques. The potential of combining miniature sensors with drones for at least the lower part of the atmosphere is exhibited.

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Production of particulate brown carbon during atmospheric aging of residential wood-burning emissions

Nivedita K. Kumar, Joel C. Corbin, Emily A. Bruns, Dario Massabó, Jay G. Slowik, Luka Drinovec, Griša Močnik, Paolo Prati, Athanasia Vlachou, Urs Baltensperger, Martin Gysel, Imad El-Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17843–17861,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17843-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17843-2018, 2018

Short summary

It is clear that considerable uncertainties still exist in understanding the magnitude of aerosol absorption on a global scale and its contribution to global warming. This manuscript provides a comprehensive assessment of the optical absorption by organic aerosols (brown carbon) from residential wood combustion as a function of atmospheric aging.

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The filter-loading effect by ambient aerosols in filter absorption photometers depends on the coating of the sampled particles

Luka Drinovec, Asta Gregorič, Peter Zotter, Robert Wolf, Emily Anne Bruns, André S. H. Prévôt, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Favez, Jean Sciare, Ian J. Arnold, Rajan K. Chakrabarty, Hans Moosmüller, Agnes Filep, and Griša Močnik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 1043–1059,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1043-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1043-2017, 2017

Short summary

Black carbon measurements are usually conducted with absorption filter photometers, which are prone to the filter-loading effect – a saturation of the instrumental response due to the accumulation of the sample in the filter matrix. In this paper, we conducted several field campaigns to investigate the hypothesis that this filter-loading effect depends on the optical properties of particles present in the filter matrix, especially on the coating of black carbon particles.

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Characterization of primary and secondary wood combustion products generated under different burner loads

E. A. Bruns, M. Krapf, J. Orasche, Y. Huang, R. Zimmermann, L. Drinovec, G. Močnik, I. El-Haddad, J. G. Slowik, J. Dommen, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt

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Short summary

Residential wood combustion contributes significantly to the total atmospheric particulate burden; however, uncertainties remain in the magnitude and characteristics of wood burning products. The effects of wood loading on freshly emitted and aged emissions were investigated. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which negatively impact health, contributed more to the total organic aerosol under highly loaded burner conditions, which has significant implications for burner operation protocols.

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Determination of car on-road black carbon and particle number emission factors and comparison between mobile and stationary measurements

I. Ježek, L. Drinovec, L. Ferrero, M. Carriero, and G. Močnik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 43–55,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-43-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-43-2015, 2015

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We used two methods - the stationary method and the chasing method - for measuring emission factors (EF) of black carbon and particle number concentration in real driving conditions in a controlled environment. We further developed the data processing for both methods. The comparison of emission factors determined by the two methods showed good agreement. EFs of a single car measured with either method have a specific distribution with a characteristic value and a long tail of super emissions.

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Secondary organic aerosol formation from gasoline vehicle emissions in a new mobile environmental reaction chamber

S. M. Platt, I. El Haddad, A. A. Zardini, M. Clairotte, C. Astorga, R. Wolf, J. G. Slowik, B. Temime-Roussel, N. Marchand, I. Ježek, L. Drinovec, G. Močnik, O. Möhler, R. Richter, P. Barmet, F. Bianchi, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt

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We trained machine learning models to estimate the number of aerosol particles large enough to form clouds and generated daily estimates for the entire globe. The models performed well in many continental regions but struggled in remote and marine areas. Still, this approach offers a way to quantify these particles in areas that lack direct measurements, helping us understand their influence on clouds and climate on a global scale.

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Xact625i vs PX-375: A Comparative Study of Online XRF Ambient Multi-Metal Monitors

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Ludovico Di Antonio, Claudia Di Biagio, Paola Formenti, Aline Gratien, Vincent Michoud, Christopher Cantrell, Astrid Bauville, Antonin Bergé, Mathieu Cazaunau, Servanne Chevaillier, Manuela Cirtog, Patrice Coll, Barbara D'Anna, Joel F. de Brito, David O. De Haan, Juliette R. Dignum, Shravan Deshmukh, Olivier Favez, Pierre-Marie Flaud, Cecile Gaimoz, Lelia N. Hawkins, Julien Kammer, Brigitte Language, Franck Maisonneuve, Griša Močnik, Emilie Perraudin, Jean-Eudes Petit, Prodip Acharja, Laurent Poulain, Pauline Pouyes, Eva Drew Pronovost, Véronique Riffault, Kanuri I. Roundtree, Marwa Shahin, Guillaume Siour, Eric Villenave, Pascal Zapf, Gilles Foret, Jean-François Doussin, and Matthias Beekmann

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Tiantian Wang, Jun Zhang, Houssni Lamkaddam, Kun Li, Ka Yuen Cheung, Lisa Kattner, Erlend Gammelsæter, Michael Bauer, Zachary C. J. Decker, Deepika Bhattu, Rujin Huang, Rob L. Modini, Jay G. Slowik, Imad El Haddad, Andre S. H. Prevot, and David M. Bell

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Measurement Report: Molecular composition, sources, and evolution of atmospheric organic aerosols in a basin city in China

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Characterization of filter photometer artefacts in soot and dust measurements – laboratory and ambient experiments using a traceably-calibrated aerosol absorption reference

Jesús Yus-Díez, Luka Drinovec, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Gloria Titos, Elena Bazo, Andrea Casans, Diego Patrón, Xavier Querol, Adolfo Gonzalez-Romero, Carlos Perez García-Pando, and Griša Močnik

EGUsphere,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3995,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3995, 2025

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We have used absorption from a photo-thermal interferometer and scattering measurements, to evaluate the most deployed filter photometers used to measure absorption at monitoring networks. We used soot and dust-dominated aerosol samples in both laboratory and ambient settings. Our results indicated that one of these filter photometers, the MAAP, usually used as a pseudo-reference instrument, had 47 % higher absorption values than our reference measurements.

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Implementation of Real-Time Source Apportionment Approaches Using the ACSM-Xact-Aethalometer (AXA) Set-Up with SoFi RT: The Athens Case Study

Manousos Ioannis Manousakas, Olga Zografou, Francesco Canonaco, Evangelia Diapouli, Stefanos Papagiannis, Maria Gini, Vasiliki Vasilatou, Anna Tobler, Stergios Vratolis, Jay G. Slowik, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, André S. H. Prevot, and Konstantinos Eleftheriadis

EGUsphere,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-542,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-542, 2025

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Air pollution from airborne particles is a major health and environmental concern, especially in cities. Understanding their sources is key to addressing this issue, but traditional methods require time-consuming sampling, delaying action. Our study introduces a real-time monitoring system that uses advanced instruments and software to track pollution instantly. This technology allows faster, more precise pollution analysis, helping cities create targeted strategies to improve air quality.

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On-road vehicle emission measurements show a significant reduction of black carbon and nitrogen oxides emissions in Euro6c and 6d diesel-powered cars

Irena Ježek Brecelj, Asta Gregorič, Lucijan Zgonik, Tjaša Rutar, Matic Ivančič, Balint Alfoldy, Griša Močnik, and Martin Rigler

EGUsphere,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3553,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3553, 2025

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Following a major car industry scandal involving diesel emissions tests, Europe introduced new testing procedures. However, concerns remained about their effectiveness. Our independent study examined real-world vehicle emissions and revealed encouraging findings: modern diesel cars perform as well as, or even better than, gasoline cars in terms of nitrogen oxides emissions. We found the same pattern for soot particles, challenging common perceptions about diesel's environmental impact.

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Ozonolysis of primary biomass burning organic aerosol particles: Insights into reactivity and phase state

Sophie Bogler, Jun Zhang, Rico K. Y. Cheung, Kun Li, Andre S. H. Prevot, Imad El Haddad, and David M. Bell

EGUsphere,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-385,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-385, 2025

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Authentic aerosols emitted from residential wood stoves and open burning processes are only slightly oxidized by ozone in the atmosphere. Under dry conditions the reaction does not proceed to completion, while under high humidity conditions the reactivity proceeds further. These results indicate the reactivity with ozone is likely impacted by aerosol phase state (e.g. aerosol viscosity).

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New particle formation dynamics in the central Andes: contrasting urban and mountaintop environments

Diego Aliaga, Victoria A. Sinclair, Radovan Krejci, Marcos Andrade, Paulo Artaxo, Luis Blacutt, Runlong Cai, Samara Carbone, Yvette Gramlich, Liine Heikkinen, Dominic Heslin-Rees, Wei Huang, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Alkuin Maximilian Koenig, Markku Kulmala, Paolo Laj, Valeria Mardoñez-Balderrama, Claudia Mohr, Isabel Moreno, Pauli Paasonen, Wiebke Scholz, Karine Sellegri, Laura Ticona, Gaëlle Uzu, Fernando Velarde, Alfred Wiedensohler, Doug Worsnop, Cheng Wu, Chen Xuemeng, Qiaozhi Zha, and Federico Bianchi

Aerosol Research, 3, 15–44,https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-15-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-15-2025, 2025

Short summary

This study examines new particle formation (NPF) in the Bolivian Andes at Chacaltaya mountain (CHC) and the urban El Alto–La Paz area (EAC). Days are clustered into four categories based on NPF intensity. Differences in particle size, precursor gases, and pollution levels are found. High NPF intensities increased Aitken mode particle concentrations at both sites, while volcanic influence selectively diminished NPF intensity at CHC but not EAC. This study highlights NPF dynamics in the Andes.

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Microphysical properties of refractory black carbon aerosols for different air masses at a central European background site

Yifan Yang, Thomas Müller, Laurent Poulain, Samira Atabakhsh, Bruna A. Holanda, Jens Voigtländer, Shubhi Arora, and Mira L. Pöhlker

EGUsphere,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3539,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3539, 2024

Short summary

Black carbon (BC) is the major atmospheric aerosol that can absorb light and influence climate. We measured the physical properties of BC at a background site in Germany. In summer, BC particles were smaller and the mixture with other atmospheric components occurred during the daytime. In winter, emissions from residential heating significantly influenced BC's properties. Understanding these characteristics of BC can help improve aerosol optics simulation accuracy.

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Opinion: How will advances in aerosol science inform our understanding of the health impacts of outdoor particulate pollution?

Imad El Haddad, Danielle Vienneau, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Robin Modini, Jay G. Slowik, Abhishek Upadhyay, Petros N. Vasilakos, David Bell, Kees de Hoogh, and Andre S. H. Prevot

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11981–12011,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11981-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11981-2024, 2024

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This opinion paper explores how advances in aerosol science inform our understanding of the health impacts of outdoor particulate pollution. We advocate for a shift in the way we target PM pollution, focusing on the most harmful anthropogenic emissions. We highlight key observations, modelling developments, and emission measurements needed to achieve this shift.

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Atmospheric black carbon in the metropolitan area of La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia: concentration levels and emission sources

Valeria Mardoñez-Balderrama, Griša Močnik, Marco Pandolfi, Robin L. Modini, Fernando Velarde, Laura Renzi, Angela Marinoni, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Isabel Moreno R., Diego Aliaga, Federico Bianchi, Claudia Mohr, Martin Gysel-Beer, Patrick Ginot, Radovan Krejci, Alfred Wiedensohler, Gaëlle Uzu, Marcos Andrade, and Paolo Laj

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12055–12077,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12055-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12055-2024, 2024

Short summary

Levels of black carbon (BC) are scarcely reported in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in high-altitude conditions. This study provides insight into the concentration level, variability, and optical properties of BC in La Paz and El Alto and at the Chacaltaya Global Atmosphere Watch Station. Two methods of source apportionment of absorption were tested and compared showing traffic as the main contributor to absorption in the urban area, in addition to biomass and open waste burning.

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Measurement report: Contribution of atmospheric new particle formation to ultrafine particle concentration, cloud condensation nuclei, and radiative forcing – results from 5-year observations in central Europe

Jia Sun, Markus Hermann, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Wolfram Birmili, Yifan Yang, Thomas Tuch, Harald Flentje, Björn Briel, Ludwig Ries, Cedric Couret, Michael Elsasser, Ralf Sohmer, Klaus Wirtz, Frank Meinhardt, Maik Schütze, Olaf Bath, Bryan Hellack, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Markku Kulmala, Nan Ma, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10667–10687,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10667-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10667-2024, 2024

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We investigated the characteristics of new particle formation (NPF) for various environments from urban background to high Alpine and the impacts of NPF on cloud condensation nuclei and aerosol radiative forcing. NPF features differ between site categories, implying the crucial role of local environmental factors such as the degree of emissions and meteorological conditions. The results also underscore the importance of local environments when assessing the impact of NPF on climate in models.

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A 20-year (1998–2017) global sea surface dimethyl sulfide gridded dataset with daily resolution

Shengqian Zhou, Ying Chen, Shan Huang, Xianda Gong, Guipeng Yang, Honghai Zhang, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, Laurent Poulain, Yan Zhang, Fanghui Wang, Zongjun Xu, and Ke Yan

Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 4267–4290,https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-4267-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-4267-2024, 2024

Short summary

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is a crucial natural reactive gas in the global climate system due to its great contribution to aerosols and subsequent impact on clouds over remote oceans. Leveraging machine learning techniques, we constructed a long-term global sea surface DMS gridded dataset with daily resolution. Compared to previous datasets, our new dataset holds promise for improving atmospheric chemistry modeling and advancing our comprehension of the climate effects associated with oceanic DMS.

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Improving the predictions of black carbon (BC) optical properties at various aging stages using a machine-learning-based approach

Baseerat Romshoo, Jaikrishna Patil, Tobias Michels, Thomas Müller, Marius Kloft, and Mira Pöhlker

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 8821–8846,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8821-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8821-2024, 2024

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Through the use of our machine-learning-based optical model, realistic BC morphologies can be incorporated into atmospheric science applications that require highly accurate results with minimal computational resources. The results of the study demonstrate that the predictions of single-scattering albedo (ω) and mass absorption cross-section (MAC) were improvedover the conventional Mie-based predictions when using the machine learning method.

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Measurement report: Hygroscopicity of size-selected aerosol particles in the heavily polluted urban atmosphere of Delhi: impacts of chloride aerosol

Anil Kumar Mandariya, Ajit Ahlawat, Mohammed Haneef, Nisar Ali Baig, Kanan Patel, Joshua Apte, Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Gazala Habib

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 3627–3647,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3627-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3627-2024, 2024

Short summary

The current study explores the temporal variation of size-selected particle hygroscopicity in Delhi for the first time. Here, we report that the high volume fraction contribution of ammonium chloride to aerosol governs the high aerosol hygroscopicity and associated liquid water content based on the experimental data. The episodically high ammonium chloride present in Delhi's atmosphere could lead to haze and fog formation under high relative humidity in the region.

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Tropical tropospheric aerosol sources and chemical composition observed at high altitude in the Bolivian Andes

C. Isabel Moreno, Radovan Krejci, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Gaëlle Uzu, Andrés Alastuey, Marcos F. Andrade, Valeria Mardóñez, Alkuin Maximilian Koenig, Diego Aliaga, Claudia Mohr, Laura Ticona, Fernando Velarde, Luis Blacutt, Ricardo Forno, David N. Whiteman, Alfred Wiedensohler, Patrick Ginot, and Paolo Laj

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2837–2860,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2837-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2837-2024, 2024

Short summary

Aerosol chemical composition (ions, sugars, carbonaceous matter) from 2011 to 2020 was studied at Mt. Chacaltaya (5380 m a.s.l., Bolivian Andes). Minimum concentrations occur in the rainy season with maxima in the dry and transition seasons. The origins of the aerosol are located in a radius of hundreds of kilometers: nearby urban and rural areas, natural biogenic emissions, vegetation burning from Amazonia and Chaco, Pacific Ocean emissions, soil dust, and Peruvian volcanism.

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Optical properties and simple forcing efficiency of the organic aerosols and black carbon emitted by residential wood burning in rural central Europe

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2583–2605,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2583-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2583-2024, 2024

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Analysis of atmospheric particle growth based on vapor concentrations measured at the high-altitude GAW station Chacaltaya in the Bolivian Andes

Arto Heitto, Cheng Wu, Diego Aliaga, Luis Blacutt, Xuemeng Chen, Yvette Gramlich, Liine Heikkinen, Wei Huang, Radovan Krejci, Paolo Laj, Isabel Moreno, Karine Sellegri, Fernando Velarde, Kay Weinhold, Alfred Wiedensohler, Qiaozhi Zha, Federico Bianchi, Marcos Andrade, Kari E. J. Lehtinen, Claudia Mohr, and Taina Yli-Juuti

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 1315–1328,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1315-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1315-2024, 2024

Short summary

Particle growth at the Chacaltaya station in Bolivia was simulated based on measured vapor concentrations and ambient conditions. Major contributors to the simulated growth were low-volatility organic compounds (LVOCs). Also, sulfuric acid had major role when volcanic activity was occurring in the area. This study provides insight on nanoparticle growth at this high-altitude Southern Hemispheric site and hence contributes to building knowledge of early growth of atmospheric particles.

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Bulk and molecular-level composition of primary organic aerosol from wood, straw, cow dung, and plastic burning

Jun Zhang, Kun Li, Tiantian Wang, Erlend Gammelsæter, Rico K. Y. Cheung, Mihnea Surdu, Sophie Bogler, Deepika Bhattu, Dongyu S. Wang, Tianqu Cui, Lu Qi, Houssni Lamkaddam, Imad El Haddad, Jay G. Slowik, Andre S. H. Prevot, and David M. Bell

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14561–14576,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14561-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14561-2023, 2023

Short summary

We conducted burning experiments to simulate various types of solid fuel combustion, including residential burning, wildfires, agricultural burning, cow dung, and plastic bag burning. The chemical composition of the particles was characterized using mass spectrometers, and new potential markers for different fuels were identified using statistical analysis. This work improves our understanding of emissions from solid fuel burning and offers support for refined source apportionment.

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Detecting nitrogen oxide emissions in Qatar and quantifying emission factors of gas-fired power plants – a 4-year study

Anthony Rey-Pommier, Frédéric Chevallier, Philippe Ciais, Jonilda Kushta, Theodoros Christoudias, I. Safak Bayram, and Jean Sciare

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13565–13583,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13565-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13565-2023, 2023

Short summary

We use four years (2019–2022) of TROPOMI NO₂ data to map NO_x emissions in Qatar. We estimate average monthly emissions for the country and industrial facilities and derive an emission factor for the power sector. Monthly emissions have a weekly cycle reflecting the social norms in Qatar and an annual cycle consistent with the electricity production by gas-fired power plants. Their mean value is lower than the NO_x emissions in global inventories but similar to the emissions reported for 2007.

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Source apportionment study on particulate air pollution in two high-altitude Bolivian cities: La Paz and El Alto

Valeria Mardoñez, Marco Pandolfi, Lucille Joanna S. Borlaza, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Andrés Alastuey, Jean-Luc Besombes, Isabel Moreno R., Noemi Perez, Griša Močnik, Patrick Ginot, Radovan Krejci, Vladislav Chrastny, Alfred Wiedensohler, Paolo Laj, Marcos Andrade, and Gaëlle Uzu

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10325–10347,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10325-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10325-2023, 2023

Short summary

La Paz and El Alto are two fast-growing, high-altitude Bolivian cities forming the second-largest metropolitan area in the country. The sources of particulate matter (PM) in this conurbation were not previously investigated. This study identified 11 main sources of PM, of which dust and vehicular emissions stand out as the main ones. The influence of regional biomass combustion and local waste combustion was also observed, with the latter being a major source of hazardous compounds.

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Surface ozone over the Tibetan Plateau controlled by stratospheric intrusion

Xiufeng Yin, Dipesh Rupakheti, Guoshuai Zhang, Jiali Luo, Shichang Kang, Benjamin de Foy, Junhua Yang, Zhenming Ji, Zhiyuan Cong, Maheswar Rupakheti, Ping Li, Yuling Hu, and Qianggong Zhang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10137–10143,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10137-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10137-2023, 2023

Short summary

The monthly mean surface ozone concentrations peaked earlier in the south in April and May and later in the north in June and July over the Tibetan Plateau. The migration of monthly surface ozone peaks was coupled with the synchronous movement of tropopause folds and the westerly jet that created conditions conducive to stratospheric ozone intrusion. Stratospheric ozone intrusion significantly contributed to surface ozone across the Tibetan Plateau.

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Impact of 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns on particulate air pollution across Europe

Jean-Philippe Putaud, Enrico Pisoni, Alexander Mangold, Christoph Hueglin, Jean Sciare, Michael Pikridas, Chrysanthos Savvides, Jakub Ondracek, Saliou Mbengue, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Laurent Poulain, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Andreas Massling, Claus Nordstroem, Andrés Alastuey, Cristina Reche, Noemí Pérez, Sonia Castillo, Mar Sorribas, Jose Antonio Adame, Tuukka Petaja, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Jarkko Niemi, Véronique Riffault, Joel F. de Brito, Augustin Colette, Olivier Favez, Jean-Eudes Petit, Valérie Gros, Maria I. Gini, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Evangelia Diapouli, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Karl Espen Yttri, and Wenche Aas

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10145–10161,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10145-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10145-2023, 2023

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Many European people are still exposed to levels of air pollution that can affect their health. COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 were used to assess the impact of the reduction in human mobility on air pollution across Europe by comparing measurement data with values that would be expected if no lockdown had occurred. We show that lockdown measures did not lead to consistent decreases in the concentrations of fine particulate matter suspended in the air, and we investigate why.

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High-time-resolution chemical composition and source apportionment of PM_2.5 in northern Chinese cities: implications for policy

Yong Zhang, Jie Tian, Qiyuan Wang, Lu Qi, Manousos Ioannis Manousakas, Yuemei Han, Weikang Ran, Yele Sun, Huikun Liu, Renjian Zhang, Yunfei Wu, Tianqu Cui, Kaspar Rudolf Daellenbach, Jay Gates Slowik, André S. H. Prévôt, and Junji Cao

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9455–9471,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9455-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9455-2023, 2023

Short summary

PM_2.5 pollution still frequently occurs in northern China during winter, and it is necessary to figure out the causes of air pollution based on intensive real-time measurement. The findings elaborate the chemical characteristics and source contributions of PM_2.5 in three pilot cities, reveal potential formation mechanisms of secondary aerosols, and highlight the importance of controlling biomass burning and inhibiting generation of secondary aerosol for air quality improvement.

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Nighttime NO emissions strongly suppress chlorine and nitrate radical formation during the winter in Delhi

Sophie L. Haslett, David M. Bell, Varun Kumar, Jay G. Slowik, Dongyu S. Wang, Suneeti Mishra, Neeraj Rastogi, Atinderpal Singh, Dilip Ganguly, Joel Thornton, Feixue Zheng, Yuanyuan Li, Wei Nie, Yongchun Liu, Wei Ma, Chao Yan, Markku Kulmala, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, David Hadden, Urs Baltensperger, Andre S. H. Prevot, Sachchida N. Tripathi, and Claudia Mohr

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9023–9036,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9023-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9023-2023, 2023

Short summary

In Delhi, some aspects of daytime and nighttime atmospheric chemistry are inverted, and parodoxically, vehicle emissions may be limiting other forms of particle production. This is because the nighttime emissions of nitrogen oxide (NO) by traffic and biomass burning prevent some chemical processes that would otherwise create even more particles and worsen the urban haze.

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A 1-year aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) source analysis of organic aerosol particle contributions from anthropogenic sources after long-range transport at the TROPOS research station Melpitz

Samira Atabakhsh, Laurent Poulain, Gang Chen, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Mira Pöhlker, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Hartmut Herrmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6963–6988,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6963-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6963-2023, 2023

Short summary

The study focuses on the aerosol chemical variations found in the rural-background station of Melpitz based on ACSM and MAAP measurements. Source apportionment on both organic aerosol (OA) and black carbon (eBC) was performed, and source seasonality was also linked to air mass trajectories. Overall, three anthropogenic sources were identified in OA and eBC plus two additional aged OA. Our results demonstrate the influence of transported coal-combustion-related OA even during summer time.

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Modelling wintertime sea-spray aerosols under Arctic haze conditions

Eleftherios Ioannidis, Kathy S. Law, Jean-Christophe Raut, Louis Marelle, Tatsuo Onishi, Rachel M. Kirpes, Lucia M. Upchurch, Thomas Tuch, Alfred Wiedensohler, Andreas Massling, Henrik Skov, Patricia K. Quinn, and Kerri A. Pratt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 5641–5678,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5641-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5641-2023, 2023

Short summary

Remote and local anthropogenic emissions contribute to wintertime Arctic haze, with enhanced aerosol concentrations, but natural sources, which also contribute, are less well studied. Here, modelled wintertime sea-spray aerosols are improved in WRF-Chem over the wider Arctic by including updated wind speed and temperature-dependent treatments. As a result, anthropogenic nitrate aerosols are also improved. Open leads are confirmed to be the main source of sea-spray aerosols over northern Alaska.

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Size-dependent hygroscopicity of levoglucosan and D-glucose aerosol nanoparticles

Ting Lei, Hang Su, Nan Ma, Ulrich Pöschl, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Yafang Cheng

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4763–4774,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4763-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4763-2023, 2023

Short summary

We investigate the hygroscopic behavior of levoglucosan and D-glucose nanoparticles using a nano-HTDMA. There is a weak size dependence of the hygroscopic growth factor of levoglucosan and D-glucose with diameters down to 20 nm, while a strong size dependence of the hygroscopic growth factor of D-glucose has been clearly observed in the size range 6 to 20 nm. The use of the DKA method leads to good agreement with the hygroscopic growth factor of glucose nanoparticles with diameters down to 6 nm.

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Real-time measurements of non-methane volatile organic compounds in the central Indo-Gangetic basin, Lucknow, India: source characterisation and their role in O₃ and secondary organic aerosol formation

Vaishali Jain, Nidhi Tripathi, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Mansi Gupta, Lokesh K. Sahu, Vishnu Murari, Sreenivas Gaddamidi, Ashutosh K. Shukla, and Andre S. H. Prevot

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3383–3408,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3383-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3383-2023, 2023

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This research chemically characterises 173 different NMVOCs (non-methane volatile organic compounds) measured in real time for three seasons in the city of the central Indo-Gangetic basin of India, Lucknow. Receptor modelling is used to analyse probable sources of NMVOCs and their crucial role in forming ozone and secondary organic aerosols. It is observed that vehicular emissions and solid fuel combustion are the highest contributors to the emission of primary and secondary NMVOCs.

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Characterization of ultrafine particles and the occurrence of new particle formation events in an urban and coastal site of the Mediterranean area

Adelaide Dinoi, Daniel Gulli, Kay Weinhold, Ivano Ammoscato, Claudia R. Calidonna, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Daniele Contini

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 2167–2181,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2167-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2167-2023, 2023

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In this study, particle number size distribution analysis was performed with the purpose of characterizing new particle formation (NPF) events occurring in two areas of southern Italy over 5 years of measurements. The identification of NPF events produced different results in terms of frequency and seasonality. Some of the main variables involved in the process, the local atmospheric conditions in which the events occurred, and the role of the air masses were discussed and compared.

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Measurement report: Long-range transport and the fate of dimethyl sulfide oxidation products in the free troposphere derived from observations at the high-altitude research station Chacaltaya (5240 m a.s.l.) in the Bolivian Andes

Wiebke Scholz, Jiali Shen, Diego Aliaga, Cheng Wu, Samara Carbone, Isabel Moreno, Qiaozhi Zha, Wei Huang, Liine Heikkinen, Jean Luc Jaffrezo, Gaelle Uzu, Eva Partoll, Markus Leiminger, Fernando Velarde, Paolo Laj, Patrick Ginot, Paolo Artaxo, Alfred Wiedensohler, Markku Kulmala, Claudia Mohr, Marcos Andrade, Victoria Sinclair, Federico Bianchi, and Armin Hansel

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 895–920,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-895-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-895-2023, 2023

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Dimethyl sulfide (DMS), emitted from the ocean, is the most abundant biogenic sulfur emission into the atmosphere. OH radicals, among others, can oxidize DMS to sulfuric and methanesulfonic acid, which are relevant for aerosol formation. We quantified DMS and nearly all DMS oxidation products with novel mass spectrometric instruments for gas and particle phase at the high mountain station Chacaltaya (5240 m a.s.l.) in the Bolivian Andes in free tropospheric air after long-range transport.

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Impact of aging on the sources, volatility, and viscosity of organic aerosols in Chinese outflows

Tingting Feng, Yingkun Wang, Weiwei Hu, Ming Zhu, Wei Song, Wei Chen, Yanyan Sang, Zheng Fang, Wei Deng, Hua Fang, Xu Yu, Cheng Wu, Bin Yuan, Shan Huang, Min Shao, Xiaofeng Huang, Lingyan He, Young Ro Lee, Lewis Gregory Huey, Francesco Canonaco, Andre S. H. Prevot, and Xinming Wang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 611–636,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-611-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-611-2023, 2023

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To investigate the impact of aging processes on organic aerosols (OA), we conducted a comprehensive field study at a continental remote site using an on-line mass spectrometer. The results show that OA in the Chinese outflows were strongly influenced by upwind anthropogenic emissions. The aging processes can significantly decrease the OA volatility and result in a varied viscosity of OA under different circumstances, signifying the complex physiochemical properties of OA in aged plumes.

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A full year of aerosol size distribution data from the central Arctic under an extreme positive Arctic Oscillation: insights from the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition

Matthew Boyer, Diego Aliaga, Jakob Boyd Pernov, Hélène Angot, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Lubna Dada, Benjamin Heutte, Manuel Dall'Osto, David C. S. Beddows, Zoé Brasseur, Ivo Beck, Silvia Bucci, Marina Duetsch, Andreas Stohl, Tiia Laurila, Eija Asmi, Andreas Massling, Daniel Charles Thomas, Jakob Klenø Nøjgaard, Tak Chan, Sangeeta Sharma, Peter Tunved, Radovan Krejci, Hans Christen Hansson, Federico Bianchi, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Mikko Sipilä, Julia Schmale, and Tuija Jokinen

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 389–415,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-389-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-389-2023, 2023

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The Arctic is a unique environment that is warming faster than other locations on Earth. We evaluate measurements of aerosol particles, which can influence climate, over the central Arctic Ocean for a full year and compare the data to land-based measurement stations across the Arctic. Our measurements show that the central Arctic has similarities to but also distinct differences from the stations further south. We note that this may change as the Arctic warms and sea ice continues to decline.

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Quantification of primary and secondary organic aerosol sources by combined factor analysis of extractive electrospray ionisation and aerosol mass spectrometer measurements (EESI-TOF and AMS)

Yandong Tong, Lu Qi, Giulia Stefenelli, Dongyu Simon Wang, Francesco Canonaco, Urs Baltensperger, André Stephan Henry Prévôt, and Jay Gates Slowik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 7265–7291,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7265-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7265-2022, 2022

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We present a method for positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis on a single dataset that includes measurements from both EESI-TOF and AMS in Zurich, Switzerland. For the first time, we resolved and quantified secondary organic aerosol (SOA) sources. Meanwhile, we also determined the retrieved EESI-TOF factor-dependent sensitivities. This method provides a framework for exploiting semi-quantitative, high-resolution instrumentation for quantitative source apportionment.

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Aerosol activation characteristics and prediction at the central European ACTRIS research station of Melpitz, Germany

Yuan Wang, Silvia Henning, Laurent Poulain, Chunsong Lu, Frank Stratmann, Yuying Wang, Shengjie Niu, Mira L. Pöhlker, Hartmut Herrmann, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 15943–15962,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15943-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15943-2022, 2022

Short summary

Aerosol particle activation affects cloud, precipitation, radiation, and thus the global climate. Its long-term measurements are important but still scarce. In this study, more than 4 years of measurements at a central European station were analyzed. The overall characteristics and seasonal changes of aerosol particle activation are summarized. The power-law fit between particle hygroscopicity factor and diameter was recommended for predicting cloudcondensation nuclei number concentration.

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Importance of size representation and morphology in modelling optical properties of black carbon: comparison between laboratory measurements and model simulations

Baseerat Romshoo, Mira Pöhlker, Alfred Wiedensohler, Sascha Pfeifer, Jorge Saturno, Andreas Nowak, Krzysztof Ciupek, Paul Quincey, Konstantina Vasilatou, Michaela N. Ess, Maria Gini, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Chris Robins, François Gaie-Levrel, and Thomas Müller

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6965–6989,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6965-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6965-2022, 2022

Short summary

Black carbon (BC) is often assumed to be spherically shaped, causing uncertainties in its optical properties when modelled. This study investigates different modelling techniques for the optical properties of BC by comparing them to laboratory measurements. We provide experimental support for emphasizing the use of appropriate size representation (polydisperse size method) and morphological representation (aggregate morphology) for optical modelling and parameterization scheme development of BC.

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CAMP: an instrumented platform for balloon-borne aerosol particle studies in the lower atmosphere

Christian Pilz, Sebastian Düsing, Birgit Wehner, Thomas Müller, Holger Siebert, Jens Voigtländer, and Michael Lonardi

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6889–6905,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6889-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6889-2022, 2022

Short summary

Tethered balloon observations are highly valuable for aerosol studies in the lowest part of the atmosphere. This study presents a newly developed platform called CAMP with four aerosol instruments for balloon-borne measurements in the Arctic. Laboratory characterizations and evaluations of the instruments and results of a first field deployment are shown. A case study highlights CAMP's capabilities and the importance of airborne aerosol studies for interpretation of ground-based observations.

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Particle-phase processing ofα-pinene NO₃ secondary organic aerosol in the dark

David M. Bell, Cheng Wu, Amelie Bertrand, Emelie Graham, Janne Schoonbaert, Stamatios Giannoukos, Urs Baltensperger, Andre S. H. Prevot, Ilona Riipinen, Imad El Haddad, and Claudia Mohr

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 13167–13182,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13167-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13167-2022, 2022

Short summary

A series of studies designed to investigate the evolution of organic aerosol were performed in an atmospheric simulation chamber, using a common oxidant found at night (NO₃). The chemical composition steadily changed from its initial composition via different chemical reactions that were taking place inside of the aerosol particle. These results show that the composition of organic aerosol steadily changes during its lifetime in the atmosphere.

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Comparison of particle number size distribution trends in ground measurements and climate models

Ville Leinonen, Harri Kokkola, Taina Yli-Juuti, Tero Mielonen, Thomas Kühn, Tuomo Nieminen, Simo Heikkinen, Tuuli Miinalainen, Tommi Bergman, Ken Carslaw, Stefano Decesari, Markus Fiebig, Tareq Hussein, Niku Kivekäs, Radovan Krejci, Markku Kulmala, Ari Leskinen, Andreas Massling, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Jane P. Mulcahy, Steffen M. Noe, Twan van Noije, Fiona M. O'Connor, Colin O'Dowd, Dirk Olivie, Jakob B. Pernov, Tuukka Petäjä, Øyvind Seland, Michael Schulz, Catherine E. Scott, Henrik Skov, Erik Swietlicki, Thomas Tuch, Alfred Wiedensohler, Annele Virtanen, and Santtu Mikkonen

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 12873–12905,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12873-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12873-2022, 2022

Short summary

We provide the first extensive comparison of detailed aerosol size distribution trends between in situ observations from Europe and five different earth system models. We investigated aerosol modes (nucleation, Aitken, and accumulation) separately and were able to show the differences between measured and modeled trends and especially their seasonal patterns. The differences in model results are likely due to complex effects of several processes instead of certain specific model features.

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Rolling vs.seasonal PMF: real-world multi-site and synthetic dataset comparison

Marta Via, Gang Chen, Francesco Canonaco, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Benjamin Chazeau, Hasna Chebaicheb, Jianhui Jiang, Hannes Keernik, Chunshui Lin, Nicolas Marchand, Cristina Marin, Colin O'Dowd, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Jean-Eudes Petit, Michael Pikridas, Véronique Riffault, Jean Sciare, Jay G. Slowik, Leïla Simon, Jeni Vasilescu, Yunjiang Zhang, Olivier Favez, André S. H. Prévôt, Andrés Alastuey, and María Cruz Minguillón

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5479–5495,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5479-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5479-2022, 2022

Short summary

This work presents the differences resulting from two techniques (rolling and seasonal) of the positive matrix factorisation model that can be run for organic aerosol source apportionment. The current state of the art suggests that the rolling technique is more accurate, but no proof of its effectiveness has been provided yet. This paper tackles this issue in the context of a synthetic dataset and a multi-site real-world comparison.

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Impact of water uptake and mixing state on submicron particle deposition in the human respiratory tract (HRT) based on explicit hygroscopicity measurements at HRT-like conditions

Ruiqi Man, Zhijun Wu, Taomou Zong, Aristeidis Voliotis, Yanting Qiu, Johannes Größ, Dominik van Pinxteren, Limin Zeng, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Min Hu

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 12387–12399,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12387-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12387-2022, 2022

Short summary

Regional and total deposition doses for different age groups were quantified based on explicit hygroscopicity measurements. We found that particle hygroscopic growth led to a reduction (~24 %) in the total dose. The deposition rate of hygroscopic particles was higher in the daytime, while hydrophobic particles exhibited a higher rate at night and during rush hours. The results will deepen the understanding of the impact of hygroscopicity and the mixing state on deposition patterns in the lungs.

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Influence of emission size distribution and nucleation on number concentrations over Greater Paris

Karine Sartelet, Youngseob Kim, Florian Couvidat, Maik Merkel, Tuukka Petäjä, Jean Sciare, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 8579–8596,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8579-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8579-2022, 2022

Short summary

A methodology is defined to estimate number emissions from an inventory providing mass emissions. Number concentrations are simulated over Greater Paris using different nucleation parameterisations (binary, ternary involving sulfuric acid and ammonia, and heteromolecular involving sulfuric acid and extremely low-volatility organics, ELVOCs). The comparisons show that ternary nucleation may not be a dominant process for new particle formation in cities, but they stress the role of ELVOCs.

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A dual-wavelength photothermal aerosol absorption monitor: design, calibration and performance

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3805–3825,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3805-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3805-2022, 2022

Short summary

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High-frequency gaseous and particulate chemical characterization using extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (Dual-Phase-EESI-TOF)

Chuan Ping Lee, Mihnea Surdu, David M. Bell, Josef Dommen, Mao Xiao, Xueqin Zhou, Andrea Baccarini, Stamatios Giannoukos, Günther Wehrle, Pascal André Schneider, Andre S. H. Prevot, Jay G. Slowik, Houssni Lamkaddam, Dongyu Wang, Urs Baltensperger, and Imad El Haddad

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3747–3760,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3747-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3747-2022, 2022

Short summary

Real-time detection of both the gas and particle phase is needed to elucidate the sources and chemical reaction pathways of organic vapors and particulate matter. The Dual-EESI was developed to measure gas- and particle-phase species to provide new insights into aerosol sources or formation mechanisms. After characterizing the relative gas and particle response factors of EESI via organic aerosol uptake experiments, the Dual-EESI is more sensitive toward gas-phase analyes.

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Highly time-resolved chemical speciation and source apportionment of organic aerosol components in Delhi, India, using extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Varun Kumar, Stamatios Giannoukos, Sophie L. Haslett, Yandong Tong, Atinderpal Singh, Amelie Bertrand, Chuan Ping Lee, Dongyu S. Wang, Deepika Bhattu, Giulia Stefenelli, Jay S. Dave, Joseph V. Puthussery, Lu Qi, Pawan Vats, Pragati Rai, Roberto Casotto, Rangu Satish, Suneeti Mishra, Veronika Pospisilova, Claudia Mohr, David M. Bell, Dilip Ganguly, Vishal Verma, Neeraj Rastogi, Urs Baltensperger, Sachchida N. Tripathi, André S. H. Prévôt, and Jay G. Slowik

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 7739–7761,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7739-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7739-2022, 2022

Short summary

Here we present source apportionment results from the first field deployment in Delhi of an extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF). The EESI-TOF is a recently developed instrument capable of providing uniquely detailed online chemical characterization of organic aerosol (OA), in particular the secondary OA (SOA) fraction. Here, we are able to apportion not only primary OA but also SOA to specific sources, which is performed for the first time in Delhi.

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Impact of particle size, refractive index, and shape on the determination of the particle scattering coefficient – an optical closure study evaluating different nephelometer angular truncation and illumination corrections

Marilena Teri, Thomas Müller, Josef Gasteiger, Sara Valentini, Helmuth Horvath, Roberta Vecchi, Paulus Bauer, Adrian Walser, and Bernadett Weinzierl

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3161–3187,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3161-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3161-2022, 2022

Short summary

We performed an extensive closure study including laboratory and simulated experiments to evaluate various angular corrections for the Aurora 4000 polar nephelometer, focusing on irregularly shaped aerosols such as mineral dust. We describe the impact of particle size, refractive index, and shape on the determination of the particle scattering coefficient and propose a guideline to establish the most appropriate angular correction depending on the aerosol type and the investigated size range.

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Performance analysis of the NanoScan SMPS and the Mini WRAS Ultrafine Aerosol Particle Size Spectrometers

Ajit Ahlawat, Kay Weinhold, Jesus Marval, Paolo Tronville, Ari Leskinen, Mika Komppula, Holger Gerwig, Lars Gerling, Stephan Weber, Rikke Bramming Jørgensen, Thomas Nørregaard Jensen, Marouane Merizak, Ulrich Vogt, Carla Ribalta, Mar Viana, Andre Schmitz, Maria Chiesa, Giacomo Gerosa, Lothar Keck, Markus Pesch, Gerhard Steiner, Thomas Krinke, Torsten Tritscher, Wolfram Birmili, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2022-155,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2022-155, 2022

Revised manuscript not accepted

Short summary

Measurements of ultrafine particles must be done with quality-assured instruments. The performance of portable instruments such as NanoScan SMPS, and GRIMM Mini WRAS spectrometer measuring the particle number size distribution in the range from 10 to 200 nm were investigated. The influence of different aerosol types and maintenance activities on these instruments were explored. The results show that these portable instruments are suitable for mobile UFP measurements for source identification.

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Fragment ion–functional group relationships in organic aerosols using aerosol mass spectrometry and mid-infrared spectroscopy

Amir Yazdani, Nikunj Dudani, Satoshi Takahama, Amelie Bertrand, André S. H. Prévôt, Imad El Haddad, and Ann M. Dillner

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2857–2874,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2857-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2857-2022, 2022

Short summary

While the aerosol mass spectrometer provides high-time-resolution characterization of the overall extent of oxidation, the extensive fragmentation of molecules and specificity of the technique have posed challenges toward deeper understanding of molecular structures in aerosols. This work demonstrates how functional group information can be extracted from a suite of commonly measured mass fragments using collocated infrared spectroscopy measurements.

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The impact of temperature inversions on black carbon and particle mass concentrations in a mountainous area

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5577–5601,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5577-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5577-2022, 2022

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On the application and grid-size sensitivity of the urban dispersion model CAIRDIO v2.0 under real city weather conditions

Michael Weger, Holger Baars, Henriette Gebauer, Maik Merkel, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Bernd Heinold

Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 3315–3345,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-3315-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-3315-2022, 2022

Short summary

Numerical models are an important tool to assess the air quality in cities,as they can provide near-continouos data in time and space. In this paper,air pollution for an entire city is simulated at a high spatial resolution of 40 m. At this spatial scale, the effects of buildings on the atmosphere, like channeling or blocking of the air flow, are directly represented by diffuse obstacles in the used model CAIRDIO. For model validation, measurements from air-monitoring sites are used.

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Understanding aerosol microphysical properties from 10 years of data collected at Cabo Verde based on an unsupervised machine learning classification

Xianda Gong, Heike Wex, Thomas Müller, Silvia Henning, Jens Voigtländer, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Frank Stratmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5175–5194,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5175-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5175-2022, 2022

Short summary

We conducted 10 yr measurements to characterize the atmospheric aerosol at Cabo Verde. An unsupervised machine learning algorithm, K-means, was implemented to study the aerosol types. Cloud condensation nuclei number concentrations during dust periods were 2.5 times higher than marine periods. The long-term data sets, together with the aerosol classification, can be used as a basis to improve understanding of annual cycles of aerosol, and aerosol-cloud interactions in the North Atlantic.

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Insight into seasonal aerosol concentrations, meteorological influence, and transport over the Pan-Third Pole region using multi-sensors satellite and model simulation

Mukesh Rai, Shichang Kang, Junhua Yang, Maheswar Rupakheti, Dipesh Rupakheti, Lekhendra Tripathee, Yuling Hu, and Xintong Chen

Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2022-199,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2022-199, 2022

Revised manuscript not accepted

Short summary

Our study revealed distinctive seasonality with the maximum and minimum aerosol concentrations during the winter and summer seasons respectively. However, interestingly summer high (AOD > 0.8) was observed over South Asia. The highest aerosols are laden over South Asia and East China within 1–2 km, however, aerosol overshooting found up to 10 km due to the deep convection process. Whereas, integrated aerosol transport for OC during spring was found to be 5 times higher than the annual mean.

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Comparing black-carbon- and aerosol-absorption-measuring instruments – a new system using lab-generated soot coated with controlled amounts of secondary organic matter

Daniel M. Kalbermatter, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Bradley Visser, Jannis Röhrbein, Matthias Oscity, Ernest Weingartner, Antti-Pekka Hyvärinen, and Konstantina Vasilatou

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 561–572,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-561-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-561-2022, 2022

Short summary

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Seasonality of the particle number concentration and size distribution: a global analysis retrieved from the network of Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) near-surface observatories

Clémence Rose, Martine Collaud Coen, Elisabeth Andrews, Yong Lin, Isaline Bossert, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Thomas Tuch, Alfred Wiedensohler, Markus Fiebig, Pasi Aalto, Andrés Alastuey, Elisabeth Alonso-Blanco, Marcos Andrade, Begoña Artíñano, Todor Arsov, Urs Baltensperger, Susanne Bastian, Olaf Bath, Johan Paul Beukes, Benjamin T. Brem, Nicolas Bukowiecki, Juan Andrés Casquero-Vera, Sébastien Conil, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Olivier Favez, Harald Flentje, Maria I. Gini, Francisco Javier Gómez-Moreno, Martin Gysel-Beer, Anna Gannet Hallar, Ivo Kalapov, Nikos Kalivitis, Anne Kasper-Giebl, Melita Keywood, Jeong Eun Kim, Sang-Woo Kim, Adam Kristensson, Markku Kulmala, Heikki Lihavainen, Neng-Huei Lin, Hassan Lyamani, Angela Marinoni, Sebastiao Martins Dos Santos, Olga L. Mayol-Bracero, Frank Meinhardt, Maik Merkel, Jean-Marc Metzger, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Jakub Ondracek, Marco Pandolfi, Noemi Pérez, Tuukka Petäjä, Jean-Eudes Petit, David Picard, Jean-Marc Pichon, Veronique Pont, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Fabienne Reisen, Karine Sellegri, Sangeeta Sharma, Gerhard Schauer, Patrick Sheridan, James Patrick Sherman, Andreas Schwerin, Ralf Sohmer, Mar Sorribas, Junying Sun, Pierre Tulet, Ville Vakkari, Pieter Gideon van Zyl, Fernando Velarde, Paolo Villani, Stergios Vratolis, Zdenek Wagner, Sheng-Hsiang Wang, Kay Weinhold, Rolf Weller, Margarita Yela, Vladimir Zdimal, and Paolo Laj

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17185–17223,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17185-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17185-2021, 2021

Short summary

Aerosol particles are a complex component of the atmospheric system the effects of which are among the most uncertain in climate change projections. Using data collected at 62 stations, this study provides the most up-to-date picture of the spatial distribution of particle number concentration and size distribution worldwide, with the aim of contributing to better representation of aerosols and their interactions with clouds in models and, therefore, better evaluation of their impact on climate.

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Measurement report: Comparison of airborne, in situ measured, lidar-based, and modeled aerosol optical properties in the central European background – identifying sources of deviations

Sebastian Düsing, Albert Ansmann, Holger Baars, Joel C. Corbin, Cyrielle Denjean, Martin Gysel-Beer, Thomas Müller, Laurent Poulain, Holger Siebert, Gerald Spindler, Thomas Tuch, Birgit Wehner, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16745–16773,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16745-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16745-2021, 2021

Short summary

The work deals with optical properties of aerosol particles in dried and atmospheric states. Based on two measurement campaigns in the rural background of central Europe, different measurement approaches were compared with each other, such as modeling based on Mie theory and direct in situ or remote sensing measurements. Among others, it was shown that the aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratio is relative humidity dependent, and refinement with respect to the model input parameters is needed.

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Identifying source regions of air masses sampled at the tropical high-altitude site of Chacaltaya using WRF-FLEXPART and cluster analysis

Diego Aliaga, Victoria A. Sinclair, Marcos Andrade, Paulo Artaxo, Samara Carbone, Evgeny Kadantsev, Paolo Laj, Alfred Wiedensohler, Radovan Krejci, and Federico Bianchi

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16453–16477,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16453-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16453-2021, 2021

Short summary

We investigate the origin of air masses sampled at Mount Chacaltaya, Bolivia. Three-quarters of the measured air has not been influenced by the surface in the previous 4 d. However, it is rare that, at any given time, the sampled air has not been influenced at all by the surface, and often the sampled air has multiple origins. The influence of the surface is more prevalent during day than night. Furthermore, during the 6-month study, one-third of the air masses originated from Amazonia.

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Constraining the response factors of an extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometer for near-molecular aerosol speciation

Dongyu S. Wang, Chuan Ping Lee, Jordan E. Krechmer, Francesca Majluf, Yandong Tong, Manjula R. Canagaratna, Julia Schmale, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, Josef Dommen, Imad El Haddad, Jay G. Slowik, and David M. Bell

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6955–6972,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6955-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6955-2021, 2021

Short summary

To understand the sources and fate of particulate matter in the atmosphere, the ability to quantitatively describe its chemical composition is essential. In this work, we developed a calibration method for a state-of-the-art measurement technique without the need for chemical standards. Statistical analyses identified the driving factors behind instrument sensitivity variability towards individual components of particulate matter.

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Time-dependent source apportionment of submicron organic aerosol for a rural site in an alpine valley using a rolling positive matrix factorisation (PMF) window

Gang Chen, Yulia Sosedova, Francesco Canonaco, Roman Fröhlich, Anna Tobler, Athanasia Vlachou, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Carlo Bozzetti, Christoph Hueglin, Peter Graf, Urs Baltensperger, Jay G. Slowik, Imad El Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 15081–15101,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15081-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15081-2021, 2021

Short summary

A novel, advanced source apportionment technique was applied to a dataset measured in Magadino. Rolling positive matrix factorisation (PMF) allows for retrieving more realistic, time-dependent, and detailed information on organic aerosol sources. The strength of the rolling PMF mechanism is highlighted by comparing it with results derived from conventional seasonal PMF. Overall, this comprehensive interpretation of aerosol chemical speciation monitor data could be a role model for similar work.

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Mass spectral characterization of secondary organic aerosol from urban cooking and vehicular sources

Wenfei Zhu, Song Guo, Zirui Zhang, Hui Wang, Ying Yu, Zheng Chen, Ruizhe Shen, Rui Tan, Kai Song, Kefan Liu, Rongzhi Tang, Yi Liu, Shengrong Lou, Yuanju Li, Wenbin Zhang, Zhou Zhang, Shijin Shuai, Hongming Xu, Shuangde Li, Yunfa Chen, Min Hu, Francesco Canonaco, and Andre S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 15065–15079,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15065-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15065-2021, 2021

Short summary

The experiments of primary emissions and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from urban lifestyle sources (cooking and vehicles) were conducted. The mass spectral features of primary organic aerosol (POA) and SOA were characterized by using a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer. This work, for the first time, establishes the vehicle and cooking SOA source profiles and can be further used as source constraints in the OA source apportionment in the ambient atmosphere.

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Characterization of non-refractory (NR) PM₁ and source apportionment of organic aerosol in Kraków, Poland

Anna K. Tobler, Alicja Skiba, Francesco Canonaco, Griša Močnik, Pragati Rai, Gang Chen, Jakub Bartyzel, Miroslaw Zimnoch, Katarzyna Styszko, Jaroslaw Nęcki, Markus Furger, Kazimierz Różański, Urs Baltensperger, Jay G. Slowik, and Andre S. H. Prevot

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14893–14906,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14893-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14893-2021, 2021

Short summary

Kraków is among the cities with the highest particulate matter levels within Europe. We conducted long-term and highly time-resolved measurements of the chemical composition of submicron particlulate matter (PM₁). Combined with advanced source apportionment techniques, which allow for time-dependent factor profiles, our results elucidate that traffic and residential heating (biomass burning and coal combustion) as well as oxygenated organic aerosol are the key PM sources in Kraków.

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Photolytically induced changes in composition and volatility of biogenic secondary organic aerosol from nitrate radical oxidation during night-to-day transition

Cheng Wu, David M. Bell, Emelie L. Graham, Sophie Haslett, Ilona Riipinen, Urs Baltensperger, Amelie Bertrand, Stamatios Giannoukos, Janne Schoonbaert, Imad El Haddad, Andre S. H. Prevot, Wei Huang, and Claudia Mohr

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14907–14925,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14907-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14907-2021, 2021

Short summary

Night-time reactions of biogenic volatile organic compounds and nitrate radicals can lead to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (BSOA_NO₃). Here, we study the impacts of light exposure on the BSOA_NO₃ from three biogenic precursors. Our results suggest that photolysis causes photodegradation of a substantial fraction of BSOA_NO₃, changes the chemical composition and bulk volatility, and might be a potentially important loss pathway of BSOA_NO₃ during the night-to-day transition.

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Determination of the multiple-scattering correction factor and its cross-sensitivity to scattering and wavelength dependence for different AE33 Aethalometer filter tapes: a multi-instrumental approach

Jesús Yus-Díez, Vera Bernardoni, Griša Močnik, Andrés Alastuey, Davide Ciniglia, Matic Ivančič, Xavier Querol, Noemí Perez, Cristina Reche, Martin Rigler, Roberta Vecchi, Sara Valentini, and Marco Pandolfi

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6335–6355,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6335-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6335-2021, 2021

Short summary

Here we characterize the multiple-scattering factor,C, of the dual-spot Aethalometer AE33 and its cross-sensitivity to scattering and wavelength dependence for three background stations: urban, regional and mountaintop.C was obtained for two sets of filter tapes: M8020 and M8060. The cross-sensitivity to scattering and wavelength dependence ofC were determined by inter-comparing with other absorption and scattering measurements including multi-angle off-line absorption measurements.

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A global study of hygroscopicity-driven light-scattering enhancement in the context of other in situ aerosol optical properties

Gloria Titos, María A. Burgos, Paul Zieger, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Urs Baltensperger, Anne Jefferson, James Sherman, Ernest Weingartner, Bas Henzing, Krista Luoma, Colin O'Dowd, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Elisabeth Andrews

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13031–13050,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13031-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13031-2021, 2021

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This paper investigates the impact of water uptake on aerosol optical properties, in particular the aerosol light-scattering coefficient. Although in situ measurements are performed at low relative humidity (typically at RH < 40 %), to address the climatic impact of aerosol particles it is necessary to take into account the effect that water uptake may have on the aerosol optical properties.

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Optical properties of coated black carbon aggregates: numerical simulations, radiative forcing estimates, and size-resolved parameterization scheme

Baseerat Romshoo, Thomas Müller, Sascha Pfeifer, Jorge Saturno, Andreas Nowak, Krzysztof Ciupek, Paul Quincey, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12989–13010,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12989-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12989-2021, 2021

Short summary

Modifications in the optical properties of black carbon (BC) due to ageing are presented and quantified in this study using a state-of-the-art description scheme of BC fractal aggregates. It is shown that the relative change in BC radiative forcing can be larger than 50 % as a function of changing fractal dimension and organic content. A comprehensive parameterization scheme for coated BC optical properties is developed with applications for modelling, ambient, and laboratory-based BC studies.

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Effects of aerosol size and coating thickness on the molecular detection using extractive electrospray ionization

Chuan Ping Lee, Mihnea Surdu, David M. Bell, Houssni Lamkaddam, Mingyi Wang, Farnoush Ataei, Victoria Hofbauer, Brandon Lopez, Neil M. Donahue, Josef Dommen, Andre S. H. Prevot, Jay G. Slowik, Dongyu Wang, Urs Baltensperger, and Imad El Haddad

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5913–5923,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5913-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5913-2021, 2021

Short summary

Extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS) has been deployed for high throughput online detection of particles with minimal fragmentation. Our study elucidates the extraction mechanism between the particles and electrospray (ES) droplets of different properties. The results show that the extraction rate is likely affected by the coagulation rate between the particles and ES droplets. Once coagulated, the particles undergo complete extraction within the ES droplet.

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Occurrence of new particle formation events in Siberian and Finnish boreal forest

Helmi Uusitalo, Jenni Kontkanen, Ilona Ylivinkka, Ekaterina Ezhova, Anastasiia Demakova, Mikhail Arshinov, Boris Denisovich Belan, Denis Davydov, Nan Ma, Tuukka Petäjä, Alfred Wiedensohler, Markku Kulmala, and Tuomo Nieminen

Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2021-530,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2021-530, 2021

Publication in ACP not foreseen

Short summary

Characteristics of formation of atmospheric aerosol at four boreal forest sites in Finland and Russian Siberia was analyzed. Our results provide information on the governing processes of atmospheric aerosol formation in the boreal forest area, which a substantial part of the continental biosphere. Aerosol formation was occurring less frequently at Siberian than in Finnish sites, which was affected by the lower particle growth rates and higher loss rates in Siberia.

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Source-specific light absorption by carbonaceous components in the complex aerosol matrix from yearly filter-based measurements

Vaios Moschos, Martin Gysel-Beer, Robin L. Modini, Joel C. Corbin, Dario Massabò, Camilla Costa, Silvia G. Danelli, Athanasia Vlachou, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Sönke Szidat, Paolo Prati, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, and Imad El Haddad

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12809–12833,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12809-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12809-2021, 2021

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This study provides a holistic approach to studying the spectrally resolved light absorption by atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) and black carbon using long time series of daily samples from filter-based measurements. The obtained results provide (1) a better understanding of the aerosol absorption profile and its dependence on BrC and on lensing from less absorbing coatings and (2) an estimation of the most important absorbers at typical European locations.

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A phenomenology of new particle formation (NPF) at 13 European sites

Dimitrios Bousiotis, Francis D. Pope, David C. S. Beddows, Manuel Dall'Osto, Andreas Massling, Jakob Klenø Nøjgaard, Claus Nordstrøm, Jarkko V. Niemi, Harri Portin, Tuukka Petäjä, Noemi Perez, Andrés Alastuey, Xavier Querol, Giorgos Kouvarakis, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Thomas Tuch, and Roy M. Harrison

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11905–11925,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11905-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11905-2021, 2021

Short summary

Formation of new particles is a key process in the atmosphere. New particle formation events arising from nucleation of gaseous precursors have been analysed in extensive datasets from 13 sites in five European countries in terms of frequency, nucleation rate, and particle growth rate, with several common features and many differences identified. Although nucleation frequencies are lower at roadside sites, nucleation rates and particle growth rates are typically higher.

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Absorption instruments inter-comparison campaign at the Arctic Pallas station

Eija Asmi, John Backman, Henri Servomaa, Aki Virkkula, Maria I. Gini, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Thomas Müller, Sho Ohata, Yutaka Kondo, and Antti Hyvärinen

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5397–5413,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5397-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5397-2021, 2021

Short summary

Absorbing aerosols are warming the planet and accurate measurements of their concentrations in pristine environments are needed. We applied eight different absorbing-aerosol measurement methods in a field campaign at the Arctic Pallas station. The filter-based techniques were found to be the most sensitive to detect the minuscule amounts of black carbon present, showing a 40 % agreement between them. Our results help to reduce uncertainties in absorbing aerosol measurements.

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Terrestrial or marine – indications towards the origin of ice-nucleating particles during melt season in the European Arctic up to 83.7° N

Markus Hartmann, Xianda Gong, Simonas Kecorius, Manuela van Pinxteren, Teresa Vogl, André Welti, Heike Wex, Sebastian Zeppenfeld, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Frank Stratmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11613–11636,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11613-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11613-2021, 2021

Short summary

Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) are not well characterized in the Arctic despite their importance for the Arctic energy budget. Little is known about their nature (mineral or biological) and sources (terrestrial or marine, long-range transport or local). We find indications that, at the beginning of the melt season, a local, biogenic, probably marine source is likely, but significant enrichment of INPs has to take place from the ocean to the aerosol phase.

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Mediterranean nascent sea spray organic aerosol and relationships with seawater biogeochemistry

Evelyn Freney, Karine Sellegri, Alessia Nicosia, Leah R. Williams, Matteo Rinaldi, Jonathan T. Trueblood, André S. H. Prévôt, Melilotus Thyssen, Gérald Grégori, Nils Haëntjens, Julie Dinasquet, Ingrid Obernosterer, France Van Wambeke, Anja Engel, Birthe Zäncker, Karine Desboeufs, Eija Asmi, Hilkka Timonen, and Cécile Guieu

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10625–10641,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10625-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10625-2021, 2021

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In this work, we present observations of the organic aerosol content in primary sea spray aerosols (SSAs) continuously generated along a 5-week cruise in the Mediterranean. This information is combined with seawater biogeochemical properties also measured continuously along the ship track to develop a number of parametrizations that can be used in models to determine SSA organic content in oligotrophic waters that represent 60 % of the oceans from commonly measured seawater variables.

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Characterization of primary and aged wood burning and coal combustion organic aerosols in an environmental chamber and its implications for atmospheric aerosols

Amir Yazdani, Nikunj Dudani, Satoshi Takahama, Amelie Bertrand, André S. H. Prévôt, Imad El Haddad, and Ann M. Dillner

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10273–10293,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10273-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10273-2021, 2021

Short summary

Functional group compositions of primary and aged aerosols from wood burning and coal combustion sources from chamber experiments are interpreted through compounds present in the fuels and known gas-phase oxidation products. Infrared spectra of aged wood burning in the chamber and ambient biomass burning samples reveal striking similarities, and a new method for identifying burning-impacted samples in monitoring network measurements is presented.

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Quantification of solid fuel combustion and aqueous chemistry contributions to secondary organic aerosol during wintertime haze events in Beijing

Yandong Tong, Veronika Pospisilova, Lu Qi, Jing Duan, Yifang Gu, Varun Kumar, Pragati Rai, Giulia Stefenelli, Liwei Wang, Ying Wang, Haobin Zhong, Urs Baltensperger, Junji Cao, Ru-Jin Huang, André S. H. Prévôt, and Jay G. Slowik

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9859–9886,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9859-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9859-2021, 2021

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We investigate SOA sources and formation processes by a field deployment of the EESI-TOF-MS and L-TOF AMS in Beijing in late autumn and early winter. Our study shows that the sources and processes giving rise to haze events in Beijing are variable and seasonally dependent: (1) in the heating season, SOA formation is driven by oxidation of aromatics from solid fuel combustion; and (2) under high-NOx and RH conditions, aqueous-phase chemistry can be a major contributor to SOA formation.

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Source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosols in Beijing with radiocarbon and organic tracers: insight into the differences between urban and rural sites

Siqi Hou, Di Liu, Jingsha Xu, Tuan V. Vu, Xuefang Wu, Deepchandra Srivastava, Pingqing Fu, Linjie Li, Yele Sun, Athanasia Vlachou, Vaios Moschos, Gary Salazar, Sönke Szidat, André S. H. Prévôt, Roy M. Harrison, and Zongbo Shi

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 8273–8292,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8273-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8273-2021, 2021

Short summary

This study provides a newly developed method which combines radiocarbon (¹⁴C) with organic tracers to enable source apportionment of primary and secondary fossil vs. non-fossil sources of carbonaceous aerosols at an urban and a rural site of Beijing. The source apportionment results were compared with those by chemical mass balance and AMS/ACSM-PMF methods. Correlations of WINSOC and WSOC with different sources of OC were also performed to elucidate the formation mechanisms of SOC.

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Trends, composition, and sources of carbonaceous aerosol at the Birkenes Observatory, northern Europe, 2001–2018

Karl Espen Yttri, Francesco Canonaco, Sabine Eckhardt, Nikolaos Evangeliou, Markus Fiebig, Hans Gundersen, Anne-Gunn Hjellbrekke, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Stephen Matthew Platt, André S. H. Prévôt, David Simpson, Sverre Solberg, Jason Surratt, Kjetil Tørseth, Hilde Uggerud, Marit Vadset, Xin Wan, and Wenche Aas

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7149–7170,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7149-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7149-2021, 2021

Short summary

Carbonaceous aerosol sources and trends were studied at the Birkenes Observatory. A large decrease in elemental carbon (EC; 2001–2018) and a smaller decline in levoglucosan (2008–2018) suggest that organic carbon (OC)/EC from traffic/industry is decreasing, whereas the abatement of OC/EC from biomass burning has been less successful. Positive matrix factorization apportioned 72 % of EC to fossil fuel sources and 53 % (PM_2.5) and 78 % (PM_10–2.5) of OC to biogenic sources.

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Intercomparison and characterization of 23 Aethalometers under laboratory and ambient air conditions: procedures and unit-to-unit variabilities

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 3195–3216,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3195-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3195-2021, 2021

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Determination of Aethalometer multiple-scattering enhancement parameters and impact on source apportionment during the winter 2017/18 EMEP/ACTRIS/COLOSSAL campaign in Milan

Vera Bernardoni, Luca Ferrero, Ezio Bolzacchini, Alice Corina Forello, Asta Gregorič, Dario Massabò, Griša Močnik, Paolo Prati, Martin Rigler, Luca Santagostini, Francesca Soldan, Sara Valentini, Gianluigi Valli, and Roberta Vecchi

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 2919–2940,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2919-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2919-2021, 2021

Short summary

An instrument-dependent wavelength-independent parameter (C) is often used to face multiple-scattering issues affecting aerosol light absorption measurements by Aethalometers. Instead, we determined multi-wavelengthC by comparison with absorption measurements of samples collected in parallel performed by an instrument developed in-house. ConsideringC wavelength dependence, harmonized results were obtained applying source and component apportionment models to data from different Aethalometers.

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Aerosol dynamics and dispersion of radioactive particles

Pontus von Schoenberg, Peter Tunved, Håkan Grahn, Alfred Wiedensohler, Radovan Krejci, and Niklas Brännström

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 5173–5193,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-5173-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-5173-2021, 2021

Short summary

In a radiological emergency preparedness system, Lagrangian particle dispersion models are often used to track the dispersion of radioactive material. In this study we have shown the importance of simulating advanced aerosol dynamic processes that are commonly neglected or simplified in these simulations. We show that inclusion of detailed ambient-aerosol dynamics can play a large role in the model result in simulations adopting a more detailed representation of aerosol–cloud interactions.

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The impact of cloudiness and cloud type on the atmospheric heating rate of black and brown carbon in the Po Valley

Luca Ferrero, Asta Gregorič, Griša Močnik, Martin Rigler, Sergio Cogliati, Francesca Barnaba, Luca Di Liberto, Gian Paolo Gobbi, Niccolò Losi, and Ezio Bolzacchini

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 4869–4897,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4869-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4869-2021, 2021

Short summary

The work experimentally quantifies the impact of cloudiness and cloud type on the atmospheric heating rate of black and brown carbon. The most impacting clouds were stratocumulus, altostratus and stratus. Clouds caused a decrease of the heating rate of about 12 % per okta. The black carbon decease was slightly higher with respect to that of brown carbon. This study highlights the need to take into account the role of cloudiness when modelling light-absorbing aerosol climate forcing.

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Influence of biomass burning vapor wall loss correction on modeling organic aerosols in Europe by CAMx v6.50

Jianhui Jiang, Imad El Haddad, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Giulia Stefenelli, Amelie Bertrand, Nicolas Marchand, Francesco Canonaco, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Favez, Stefania Gilardoni, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 1681–1697,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1681-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1681-2021, 2021

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We developed a box model with a volatility basis set to simulate organic aerosol (OA) from biomass burning and optimized the vapor-wall-loss-corrected OA yields with a genetic algorithm. The optimized parameterizations were then implemented in the air quality model CAMx v6.5. Comparisons with ambient measurements indicate that the vapor-wall-loss-corrected parameterization effectively improves the model performance in predicting OA, which reduced the mean fractional bias from −72.9 % to −1.6 %.

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Source apportionment and impact of long-range transport on carbonaceous aerosol particles in central Germany during HCCT-2010

Laurent Poulain, Benjamin Fahlbusch, Gerald Spindler, Konrad Müller, Dominik van Pinxteren, Zhijun Wu, Yoshiteru Iinuma, Wolfram Birmili, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Hartmut Herrmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 3667–3684,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3667-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3667-2021, 2021

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We present results from source apportionment analysis on the carbonaceous aerosol particles, including organic aerosol (OA) and equivalent black carbon (eBC), allowing us to distinguish local emissions from long-range transport for OA and eBC sources. By merging online chemical measurements and considering particle number size distribution, the different air masses reaching the sampling place were described and discussed, based on their respective chemical composition and size distribution.

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The effect of meteorological conditions and atmospheric composition in the occurrence and development of new particle formation (NPF) events in Europe

Dimitrios Bousiotis, James Brean, Francis D. Pope, Manuel Dall'Osto, Xavier Querol, Andrés Alastuey, Noemi Perez, Tuukka Petäjä, Andreas Massling, Jacob Klenø Nøjgaard, Claus Nordstrøm, Giorgos Kouvarakis, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Jarkko V. Niemi, Harri Portin, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Thomas Tuch, and Roy M. Harrison

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 3345–3370,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3345-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3345-2021, 2021

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New particle formation events from 16 sites over Europe have been studied, and the influence of meteorological and atmospheric composition variables has been investigated. Some variables, like solar radiation intensity and temperature, have a positive effect on the occurrence of these events, while others have a negative effect, affecting different aspects such as the rate at which particles are formed or grow. This effect varies depending on the site type and magnitude of these variables.

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Changes in black carbon emissions over Europe due to COVID-19 lockdowns

Nikolaos Evangeliou, Stephen M. Platt, Sabine Eckhardt, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Paolo Laj, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, John Backman, Benjamin T. Brem, Markus Fiebig, Harald Flentje, Angela Marinoni, Marco Pandolfi, Jesus Yus-Dìez, Natalia Prats, Jean P. Putaud, Karine Sellegri, Mar Sorribas, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Stergios Vratolis, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Andreas Stohl

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2675–2692,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2675-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2675-2021, 2021

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Following the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to Europe, social distancing rules were introduced to prevent further spread. We investigate the impacts of the European lockdowns on black carbon (BC) emissions by means of in situ observations and inverse modelling. BC emissions declined by 23 kt in Europe during the lockdowns as compared with previous years and by 11 % as compared to the period prior to lockdowns. Residential combustion prevailed in Eastern Europe, as confirmed by remote sensing data.

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A new method for long-term source apportionment with time-dependent factor profiles and uncertainty assessment using SoFi Pro: application to 1 year of organic aerosol data

Francesco Canonaco, Anna Tobler, Gang Chen, Yulia Sosedova, Jay Gates Slowik, Carlo Bozzetti, Kaspar Rudolf Daellenbach, Imad El Haddad, Monica Crippa, Ru-Jin Huang, Markus Furger, Urs Baltensperger, and André Stephan Henry Prévôt

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 923–943,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-923-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-923-2021, 2021

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Long-term ambient aerosol mass spectrometric data were analyzed with a statistical model (PMF) to obtain source contributions and fingerprints. The new aspects of this paper involve time-dependent source fingerprints by a rolling technique and the replacement of the full visual inspection of each run by a user-defined set of criteria to monitor the quality of each of these runs more efficiently. More reliable sources will finally provide better instruments for political mitigation strategies.

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Detailed characterization of the CAPS single-scattering albedo monitor (CAPS PMssa) as a field-deployable instrument for measuring aerosol light absorption with the extinction-minus-scattering method

Rob L. Modini, Joel C. Corbin, Benjamin T. Brem, Martin Irwin, Michele Bertò, Rosaria E. Pileci, Prodromos Fetfatzis, Kostas Eleftheriadis, Bas Henzing, Marcel M. Moerman, Fengshan Liu, Thomas Müller, and Martin Gysel-Beer

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 819–851,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-819-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-819-2021, 2021

Short summary

Extinction-minus-scattering is an important method for measuring aerosol light absorption, but its application in the field presents a number of challenges. A recently developed instrument based on this method – the CAPS PMssa – has the potential to overcome some of these challenges. We present a compilation of theory, lab measurements, and field examples to characterize this instrument and show the conditions under which it can deliver reliable absorption measurements for atmospheric aerosols.

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Highly time-resolved measurements of element concentrations in PM₁₀ and PM_2.5: comparison of Delhi, Beijing, London, and Krakow

Pragati Rai, Jay G. Slowik, Markus Furger, Imad El Haddad, Suzanne Visser, Yandong Tong, Atinderpal Singh, Günther Wehrle, Varun Kumar, Anna K. Tobler, Deepika Bhattu, Liwei Wang, Dilip Ganguly, Neeraj Rastogi, Ru-Jin Huang, Jaroslaw Necki, Junji Cao, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 717–730,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-717-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-717-2021, 2021

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We present a simple conceptual framework based on elemental size distributions and enrichment factors that allows for a characterization of major sources, site-to-site similarities, and local differences and the identification of key information required for efficient policy development. Absolute concentrations are by far the highest in Delhi, followed by Beijing, and then the European cities.

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Variability in the mass absorption cross section of black carbon (BC) aerosols is driven by BC internal mixing state at a central European background site (Melpitz, Germany) in winter

Jinfeng Yuan, Robin Lewis Modini, Marco Zanatta, Andreas B. Herber, Thomas Müller, Birgit Wehner, Laurent Poulain, Thomas Tuch, Urs Baltensperger, and Martin Gysel-Beer

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 635–655,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-635-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-635-2021, 2021

Short summary

Black carbon (BC) aerosols contribute substantially to climate warming due to their unique light absorption capabilities. We performed field measurements at a central European background site in winter and found that variability in the absorption efficiency of BC particles is driven mainly by their internal mixing state. Our results suggest that, at this site, knowing the BC mixing state is sufficient to describe BC light absorption enhancements due to the lensing effect in good approximation.

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Aircraft vertical profiles during summertime regional and Saharan dust scenarios over the north-western Mediterranean basin: aerosol optical and physical properties

Jesús Yus-Díez, Marina Ealo, Marco Pandolfi, Noemí Perez, Gloria Titos, Griša Močnik, Xavier Querol, and Andrés Alastuey

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 431–455,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-431-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-431-2021, 2021

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Here we describe the vertical profiles of extensive (scattering and absorption) and intensive (e.g. albedo and asymmetry parameter) aerosol optical properties from coupling ground-based measurements from two sites in north-eastern Spain and airborne measurements performed with an aircraft. We analyse different aerosol layers along the vertical profile for a regional pollution episode and a Saharan dust intrusion. The results show a change with height depending on the different measured layers.

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A single-beam photothermal interferometer for in situ measurements of aerosol light absorption

Bradley Visser, Jannis Röhrbein, Peter Steigmeier, Luka Drinovec, Griša Močnik, and Ernest Weingartner

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 7097–7111,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-7097-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-7097-2020, 2020

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Influence of aerosol copper on HO₂ uptake: a novel parameterized equation

Huan Song, Xiaorui Chen, Keding Lu, Qi Zou, Zhaofeng Tan, Hendrik Fuchs, Alfred Wiedensohler, Daniel R. Moon, Dwayne E. Heard, María-Teresa Baeza-Romero, Mei Zheng, Andreas Wahner, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, and Yuanhang Zhang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 15835–15850,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15835-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15835-2020, 2020

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Accurate calculation of the HO₂ uptake coefficient is one of the key parameters to quantify the co-reduction of both aerosol and ozone pollution. We modelled various lab measurements of γHO₂ based on a gas-liquid phase kinetic model and developed a state-of-the-art parameterized equation. Based on a dataset from a comprehensive field campaign in the North China Plain, we proposed that the determination of the heterogeneous uptake process for HO₂ should be included in future field campaigns.

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Role of ammonia in European air quality with changing land and ship emissions between 1990 and 2030

Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Jianhui Jiang, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 15665–15680,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15665-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15665-2020, 2020

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We investigated the role of ammonia in European air quality between 1990 and 2030 under varying land and ship emissions. If ship emissions will be regulated more strictly in the future, particulate nitrate will decrease in coastal areas in northern Europe, while sulfate aerosol will decrease in the Mediterranean region. We predict a shift in the sensitivity of aerosol formation from NH₃ towards NO_x emissions between 1990 and 2030 in most of Europe except the eastern part of the model domain.

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The determination of highly time-resolved and source-separated black carbon emission rates using radon as a tracer of atmospheric dynamics

Asta Gregorič, Luka Drinovec, Irena Ježek, Janja Vaupotič, Matevž Lenarčič, Domen Grauf, Longlong Wang, Maruška Mole, Samo Stanič, and Griša Močnik

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 14139–14162,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14139-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14139-2020, 2020

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Role of the dew water on the ground surface in HONO distribution: a case measurement in Melpitz

Yangang Ren, Bastian Stieger, Gerald Spindler, Benoit Grosselin, Abdelwahid Mellouki, Thomas Tuch, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Hartmut Herrmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 13069–13089,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13069-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13069-2020, 2020

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We present HONO measurements from the TROPOS research site in Melpitz, Germany. Investigations of HONO sources and sinks revealed the nighttime formation by heterogeneous conversion of NO₂ to HONO followed by a significant surface deposition at night. The evaporation of dew was identified as the main HONO source in the morning. In the following, dew measurements with a self-made dew collector were performed to estimate the amount of evaporated HONO from dew in the atmospheric HONO distribution.

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Nano-hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (nano-HTDMA) for investigating hygroscopic properties of sub-10 nm aerosol nanoparticles

Ting Lei, Nan Ma, Juan Hong, Thomas Tuch, Xin Wang, Zhibin Wang, Mira Pöhlker, Maofa Ge, Weigang Wang, Eugene Mikhailov, Thorsten Hoffmann, Ulrich Pöschl, Hang Su, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Yafang Cheng

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 5551–5567,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5551-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5551-2020, 2020

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We present the design of a nano-hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (nano-HTDMA) apparatus that enables high accuracy and precision in hygroscopic growth measurements of aerosol nanoparticles with diameters less than 10 nm. We further introduce comprehensive methods for system calibration and validation of the performance of the system. We then study the size dependence of the deliquescence and the efflorescence of aerosol nanoparticles for sizes down to 6 nm.

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Improved chloride quantification in quadrupole aerosol chemical speciation monitors (Q-ACSMs)

Anna K. Tobler, Alicja Skiba, Dongyu S. Wang, Philip Croteau, Katarzyna Styszko, Jarosław Nęcki, Urs Baltensperger, Jay G. Slowik, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 5293–5301,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5293-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5293-2020, 2020

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Some quadrupole aerosol chemical speciation monitors (Q-ACSMs) have had issues with the quantification of particulate chloride, resulting in apparent negative chloride concentrations. We can show that this is due to the different behavior of Cl⁺ and HCl⁺, and we present a correction for the more accurate quantification of chloride. The correction can be applied to measurements in environments where the particulate chloride is dominated by NH₄Cl.

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Aerosol pollution maps and trends over Germany with hourly data at four rural background stations from 2009 to 2018

Jost Heintzenberg, Wolfram Birmili, Bryan Hellack, Gerald Spindler, Thomas Tuch, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 10967–10984,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10967-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10967-2020, 2020

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A total of 10 years of hourly aerosol and gas data at four rural German stations have been combined with hourly back trajectories to the stations and inventories of the European Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), yielding emission maps and trends over Germany for PM₁₀, particle number concentrations, and equivalent black carbon (eBC). The maps reflect aerosol emissions modified with atmospheric processes during transport between sources and receptor sites.

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Multi-year ACSM measurements at the central European research station Melpitz (Germany) – Part 1: Instrument robustness, quality assurance, and impact of upper size cutoff diameter

Laurent Poulain, Gerald Spindler, Achim Grüner, Thomas Tuch, Bastian Stieger, Dominik van Pinxteren, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Favez, Hartmut Herrmann, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 4973–4994,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4973-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4973-2020, 2020

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The stability and the comparability between ACSM and collocated filter sampling and MPSS measurements was investigated in order to examine the instruments robustness for year-long measurements. Specific attention was paid to the influence of the upper size cutoff diameter to better understand how it might affect the data validation. Recommendations are provided for better on-site quality assurance and quality control of the ACSM, which would be useful for either long-term or intensive campaigns.

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Source characterization of volatile organic compounds measured by proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometers in Delhi, India

Liwei Wang, Jay G. Slowik, Nidhi Tripathi, Deepika Bhattu, Pragati Rai, Varun Kumar, Pawan Vats, Rangu Satish, Urs Baltensperger, Dilip Ganguly, Neeraj Rastogi, Lokesh K. Sahu, Sachchida N. Tripathi, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 9753–9770,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9753-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9753-2020, 2020

The new instrument using a TC–BC (total carbon–black carbon) method for the online measurement of carbonaceous aerosols

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 4333–4351,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4333-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4333-2020, 2020

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A global analysis of climate-relevant aerosol properties retrieved from the network of Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) near-surface observatories

Paolo Laj, Alessandro Bigi, Clémence Rose, Elisabeth Andrews, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Martine Collaud Coen, Yong Lin, Alfred Wiedensohler, Michael Schulz, John A. Ogren, Markus Fiebig, Jonas Gliß, Augustin Mortier, Marco Pandolfi, Tuukka Petäja, Sang-Woo Kim, Wenche Aas, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Olga Mayol-Bracero, Melita Keywood, Lorenzo Labrador, Pasi Aalto, Erik Ahlberg, Lucas Alados Arboledas, Andrés Alastuey, Marcos Andrade, Begoña Artíñano, Stina Ausmeel, Todor Arsov, Eija Asmi, John Backman, Urs Baltensperger, Susanne Bastian, Olaf Bath, Johan Paul Beukes, Benjamin T. Brem, Nicolas Bukowiecki, Sébastien Conil, Cedric Couret, Derek Day, Wan Dayantolis, Anna Degorska, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Prodromos Fetfatzis, Olivier Favez, Harald Flentje, Maria I. Gini, Asta Gregorič, Martin Gysel-Beer, A. Gannet Hallar, Jenny Hand, Andras Hoffer, Christoph Hueglin, Rakesh K. Hooda, Antti Hyvärinen, Ivo Kalapov, Nikos Kalivitis, Anne Kasper-Giebl, Jeong Eun Kim, Giorgos Kouvarakis, Irena Kranjc, Radovan Krejci, Markku Kulmala, Casper Labuschagne, Hae-Jung Lee, Heikki Lihavainen, Neng-Huei Lin, Gunter Löschau, Krista Luoma, Angela Marinoni, Sebastiao Martins Dos Santos, Frank Meinhardt, Maik Merkel, Jean-Marc Metzger, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Nhat Anh Nguyen, Jakub Ondracek, Noemi Pérez, Maria Rita Perrone, Jean-Eudes Petit, David Picard, Jean-Marc Pichon, Veronique Pont, Natalia Prats, Anthony Prenni, Fabienne Reisen, Salvatore Romano, Karine Sellegri, Sangeeta Sharma, Gerhard Schauer, Patrick Sheridan, James Patrick Sherman, Maik Schütze, Andreas Schwerin, Ralf Sohmer, Mar Sorribas, Martin Steinbacher, Junying Sun, Gloria Titos, Barbara Toczko, Thomas Tuch, Pierre Tulet, Peter Tunved, Ville Vakkari, Fernando Velarde, Patricio Velasquez, Paolo Villani, Sterios Vratolis, Sheng-Hsiang Wang, Kay Weinhold, Rolf Weller, Margarita Yela, Jesus Yus-Diez, Vladimir Zdimal, Paul Zieger, and Nadezda Zikova

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 4353–4392,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4353-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4353-2020, 2020

Short summary

The paper establishes the fiducial reference of the GAW aerosol network providing the fully characterized value chain to the provision of four climate-relevant aerosol properties from ground-based sites. Data from almost 90 stations worldwide are reported for a reference year, 2017, providing a unique and very robust view of the variability of these variables worldwide. Current gaps in the GAW network are analysed and requirements for the Global Climate Monitoring System are proposed.

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Temporal and spatial analysis of ozone concentrations in Europe based on timescale decomposition and a multi-clustering approach

Eirini Boleti, Christoph Hueglin, Stuart K. Grange, André S. H. Prévôt, and Satoshi Takahama

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 9051–9066,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9051-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9051-2020, 2020

Short summary

Long-term temporal evolution of ozone concentrations between 2000 and 2015 in Europe was estimated using a signal decomposition technique. The seasonal cycles are correlated with local climate conditions and vary according to geographic region, while ozone levels are indicative of distance to emission sources. The site's environment plays a key role in ozone trends, with the most polluted environments showing the least reduction in ozone, while in less polluted areas ozone has decreased.

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Multidecadal trend analysis of in situ aerosol radiative properties around the world

Martine Collaud Coen, Elisabeth Andrews, Andrés Alastuey, Todor Petkov Arsov, John Backman, Benjamin T. Brem, Nicolas Bukowiecki, Cédric Couret, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Harald Flentje, Markus Fiebig, Martin Gysel-Beer, Jenny L. Hand, András Hoffer, Rakesh Hooda, Christoph Hueglin, Warren Joubert, Melita Keywood, Jeong Eun Kim, Sang-Woo Kim, Casper Labuschagne, Neng-Huei Lin, Yong Lin, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Krista Luoma, Hassan Lyamani, Angela Marinoni, Olga L. Mayol-Bracero, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Marco Pandolfi, Natalia Prats, Anthony J. Prenni, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Ludwig Ries, Fabienne Reisen, Karine Sellegri, Sangeeta Sharma, Patrick Sheridan, James Patrick Sherman, Junying Sun, Gloria Titos, Elvis Torres, Thomas Tuch, Rolf Weller, Alfred Wiedensohler, Paul Zieger, and Paolo Laj

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 8867–8908,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8867-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8867-2020, 2020

Short summary

Long-term trends of aerosol radiative properties (52 stations) prove that aerosol load has significantly decreased over the last 20 years. Scattering trends are negative in Europe (EU) and North America (NA), not ss in Asia, and show a mix of positive and negative trends at polar stations. Absorption has mainly negative trends. The single scattering albedo has positive trends in Asia and eastern EU and negative in western EU and NA, leading to a global positive median trend of 0.02 % per year.

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Overview: Integrative and Comprehensive Understanding on Polar Environments (iCUPE) – concept and initial results

Tuukka Petäjä, Ella-Maria Duplissy, Ksenia Tabakova, Julia Schmale, Barbara Altstädter, Gerard Ancellet, Mikhail Arshinov, Yurii Balin, Urs Baltensperger, Jens Bange, Alison Beamish, Boris Belan, Antoine Berchet, Rossana Bossi, Warren R. L. Cairns, Ralf Ebinghaus, Imad El Haddad, Beatriz Ferreira-Araujo, Anna Franck, Lin Huang, Antti Hyvärinen, Angelika Humbert, Athina-Cerise Kalogridis, Pavel Konstantinov, Astrid Lampert, Matthew MacLeod, Olivier Magand, Alexander Mahura, Louis Marelle, Vladimir Masloboev, Dmitri Moisseev, Vaios Moschos, Niklas Neckel, Tatsuo Onishi, Stefan Osterwalder, Aino Ovaska, Pauli Paasonen, Mikhail Panchenko, Fidel Pankratov, Jakob B. Pernov, Andreas Platis, Olga Popovicheva, Jean-Christophe Raut, Aurélie Riandet, Torsten Sachs, Rosamaria Salvatori, Roberto Salzano, Ludwig Schröder, Martin Schön, Vladimir Shevchenko, Henrik Skov, Jeroen E. Sonke, Andrea Spolaor, Vasileios K. Stathopoulos, Mikko Strahlendorff, Jennie L. Thomas, Vito Vitale, Sterios Vratolis, Carlo Barbante, Sabine Chabrillat, Aurélien Dommergue, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Jyri Heilimo, Kathy S. Law, Andreas Massling, Steffen M. Noe, Jean-Daniel Paris, André S. H. Prévôt, Ilona Riipinen, Birgit Wehner, Zhiyong Xie, and Hanna K. Lappalainen

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 8551–8592,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8551-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8551-2020, 2020

Short summary

The role of polar regions is increasing in terms of megatrends such as globalization, new transport routes, demography, and the use of natural resources with consequent effects on regional and transported pollutant concentrations. Here we summarize initial results from our integrative project exploring the Arctic environment and pollution to deliver data products, metrics, and indicators for stakeholders.

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Chemical characterization of secondary organic aerosol at a rural site in the southeastern US: insights from simultaneous high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) and FIGAERO chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) measurements

Yunle Chen, Masayuki Takeuchi, Theodora Nah, Lu Xu, Manjula R. Canagaratna, Harald Stark, Karsten Baumann, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, L. Gregory Huey, Rodney J. Weber, and Nga L. Ng

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 8421–8440,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8421-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8421-2020, 2020

Short summary

Two online mass spectrometry instruments, an aerosol mass spectrometer and a chemical ionization mass spectrometer equipped with a filter inlet for gases and aerosols, were deployed at Yorkville, GA, for a comprehensive characterization of organic aerosol. We observed notable secondary organic aerosol formation from isoprene and monoterpenes via different pathways during both day and night, and a series of highly oxidized acid-like compounds was found to be closely related to aged SOA.

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A new optical-based technique for real-time measurements of mineral dust concentration in PM₁₀ using a virtual impactor

Luka Drinovec, Jean Sciare, Iasonas Stavroulas, Spiros Bezantakos, Michael Pikridas, Florin Unga, Chrysanthos Savvides, Bojana Višić, Maja Remškar, and Griša Močnik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3799–3813,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3799-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3799-2020, 2020

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A 1-year characterization of organic aerosol composition and sources using an extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF)

Lu Qi, Alexander L. Vogel, Sepideh Esmaeilirad, Liming Cao, Jing Zheng, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Paola Fermo, Anne Kasper-Giebl, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Mindong Chen, Xinlei Ge, Urs Baltensperger, André S. H. Prévôt, and Jay G. Slowik

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 7875–7893,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7875-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7875-2020, 2020

Short summary

We present the first application of this online and offline strategy using the new extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF), which achieves increased chemical specificity relative to other online techniques. Measurement and source apportionment of 1 year of filter samples collected in Zurich, Switzerland, show seasonal contributions from fresh and aged wood combustion in winter and biogenic emission-derived SOA in summer, as well as other sources.

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Decreasing trends of particle number and black carbon mass concentrations at 16 observational sites in Germany from 2009 to 2018

Jia Sun, Wolfram Birmili, Markus Hermann, Thomas Tuch, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Fabian Rasch, Thomas Müller, Alexander Schladitz, Susanne Bastian, Gunter Löschau, Josef Cyrys, Jianwei Gu, Harald Flentje, Björn Briel, Christoph Asbach, Heinz Kaminski, Ludwig Ries, Ralf Sohmer, Holger Gerwig, Klaus Wirtz, Frank Meinhardt, Andreas Schwerin, Olaf Bath, Nan Ma, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 7049–7068,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7049-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7049-2020, 2020

Short summary

To evaluate the effectiveness of emission mitigation policies, we evaluated the trends of the size-resolved particle number concentrations and equivalent black carbon mass concentration at 16 observational sites for various environments in Germany (2009–2018). Overall, significant decrease trends are found for most of the parameters and sites. This study suggests that a combination of emission mitigation policies can effectively improve the air quality on large spatial scales such as in Germany.

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New particle formation and sub-10 nm size distribution measurements during the A-LIFE field experiment in Paphos, Cyprus

Sophia Brilke, Nikolaus Fölker, Thomas Müller, Konrad Kandler, Xianda Gong, Jeff Peischl, Bernadett Weinzierl, and Paul M. Winkler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 5645–5656,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5645-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5645-2020, 2020

Short summary

Atmospheric particle size distributions with the focus on freshly nucleated particles were measured during the A-LIFE field experiment in Cyprus. A DMA-train was set up for the first time in an atmospheric environment and captures the sub-10 nm particle dynamics. Several new particle formation (NPF) events are studied in detail, of which some did not show particle growth beyond 10 nm indicating that NPF may occur more frequently than estimated when the sub-10 nm size range is not covered.

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The influence of the baseline drift on the resulting extinction values of a cavity attenuated phase shift-based extinction monitor (CAPS PMex)

Sascha Pfeifer, Thomas Müller, Andrew Freedman, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2161–2167,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2161-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2161-2020, 2020

Short summary

The effect of the baseline drift on the resulting extinction values of three CAPS PMex monitors with different wavelengths was analysed for an urban background station. A significant baseline drift was observed, which leads to characteristic measurement artefacts for particle extinction. Two alternative methods for recalculating the baseline are shown. With these methods the extinction artefacts are diminished and the effective scattering of the resulting extinction values is reduced.

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Seasonal source variability of carbonaceous aerosols at the Rwanda Climate Observatory

August Andersson, Elena N. Kirillova, Stefano Decesari, Langley DeWitt, Jimmy Gasore, Katherine E. Potter, Ronald G. Prinn, Maheswar Rupakheti, Jean de Dieu Ndikubwimana, Julius Nkusi, and Bonfils Safari

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 4561–4573,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4561-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4561-2020, 2020

Short summary

Large-scale biomass burning events seasonally cover sub-Saharan Africa with air particles. In this study, we find that the concentrations of these particles at a remote mountain site in Rwanda may increase by a factor of 10 during such dry biomass burning periods, with strong implications for the regional climate and human health. These results provide quantitative constraints that could contribute to reducing the large uncertainties regarding the environmental impact of these fires.

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Ambient air quality in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, during the pre-monsoon: concentrations and sources of particulate matter and trace gases

Md. Robiul Islam, Thilina Jayarathne, Isobel J. Simpson, Benjamin Werden, John Maben, Ashley Gilbert, Puppala S. Praveen, Sagar Adhikari, Arnico K. Panday, Maheswar Rupakheti, Donald R. Blake, Robert J. Yokelson, Peter F. DeCarlo, William C. Keene, and Elizabeth A. Stone

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2927–2951,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2927-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2927-2020, 2020

Short summary

The Kathmandu Valley experiences high levels of air pollution. In this study, atmospheric gases and particulate matter were characterized by online and off-line measurements, with an emphasis on understanding their sources. The major sources of particulate matter and trace gases were identified as garbage burning, biomass burning, and vehicles. The majority of secondary organic aerosol was attributed to anthropogenic precursors, while a minority was attributed to biogenic gases.

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Mutual promotion between aerosol particle liquid water and particulate nitrate enhancement leads to severe nitrate-dominated particulate matter pollution and low visibility

Yu Wang, Ying Chen, Zhijun Wu, Dongjie Shang, Yuxuan Bian, Zhuofei Du, Sebastian H. Schmitt, Rong Su, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Patrick Schlag, Thorsten Hohaus, Aristeidis Voliotis, Keding Lu, Limin Zeng, Chunsheng Zhao, M. Rami Alfarra, Gordon McFiggans, Alfred Wiedensohler, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Yuanhang Zhang, and Min Hu

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2161–2175,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2161-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2161-2020, 2020

Short summary

Severe haze events, with high particulate nitrate (pNO₃⁻) burden, frequently prevail in Beijing. In this study, we demonstrate a mutual-promotion effect between aerosol water uptake andpNO₃⁻ formation backed up by theoretical calculations and field observations throughout a typicalpNO₃⁻-dominated haze event in Beijing wintertime. This self-amplified mutual-promotion effect between aerosol water content and particulate nitrate can rapidly deteriorate air quality and degrade visibility.

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Source apportionment of highly time-resolved elements during a firework episode from a rural freeway site in Switzerland

Pragati Rai, Markus Furger, Jay G. Slowik, Francesco Canonaco, Roman Fröhlich, Christoph Hüglin, María Cruz Minguillón, Krag Petterson, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1657–1674,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1657-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1657-2020, 2020

Short summary

A source apportionment study of hourly resolved elements in PM₁₀ measured at a traffic-influenced site in Härkingen, Switzerland, using positive matrix factorization (PMF) and multilinear engine-2 (ME-2) offered resolution of robust and unambiguous factor profiles and contributions. We show that the rotational control available in ME-2 provides a means for treating extreme events such as fireworks within a PMF analysis.

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Characterization of aerosol particles at Cabo Verde close to sea level and at the cloud level – Part 1: Particle number size distribution, cloud condensation nuclei and their origins

Xianda Gong, Heike Wex, Jens Voigtländer, Khanneh Wadinga Fomba, Kay Weinhold, Manuela van Pinxteren, Silvia Henning, Thomas Müller, Hartmut Herrmann, and Frank Stratmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1431–1449,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1431-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1431-2020, 2020

Short summary

We characterized the aerosol particles in Cabo Verde at sea and cloud levels. We found four well-separable types of PNSDs, with the strongest differences between air masses coming from the ocean compared to from the African continent. During the strongest observed dust periods, CCN concentrations were 2.5 higher than during clean marine periods. The hygroscopicity of the particles did not vary much between different periods. Aerosol at sea level and on the mountaintop was well in agreement.

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Characterization of aerosol particles at Cabo Verde close to sea level and at the cloud level – Part 2: Ice-nucleating particles in air, cloud and seawater

Xianda Gong, Heike Wex, Manuela van Pinxteren, Nadja Triesch, Khanneh Wadinga Fomba, Jasmin Lubitz, Christian Stolle, Tiera-Brandy Robinson, Thomas Müller, Hartmut Herrmann, and Frank Stratmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1451–1468,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1451-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1451-2020, 2020

Short summary

In this study, we examined number concentrations of ice nucleating particles (INPs) at Cabo Verde in the oceanic sea surface microlayer and underlying seawater, in the air close to both sea level and cloud level, and in cloud water. The results show that most INPs are supermicron in size, that INP number concentrations in air fit well to those in cloud water and that sea spray aerosols at maximum contributed a small fraction of all INPs in the air at Cabo Verde.

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The impact of biomass burning and aqueous-phase processing on air quality: a multi-year source apportionment study in the Po Valley, Italy

Marco Paglione, Stefania Gilardoni, Matteo Rinaldi, Stefano Decesari, Nicola Zanca, Silvia Sandrini, Lara Giulianelli, Dimitri Bacco, Silvia Ferrari, Vanes Poluzzi, Fabiana Scotto, Arianna Trentini, Laurent Poulain, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Paola Massoli, Claudio Carbone, Maria Cristina Facchini, and Sandro Fuzzi

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1233–1254,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1233-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1233-2020, 2020

Short summary

Our multi-year observational study regarding organic aerosol (OA) in the Po Valley indicates that more than half of OA is of secondary origin (SOA) through all the year and at both urban and rural sites. Within the SOA, the measurements show the importance of biomass burning (BB) aging products during cold seasons and indicate aqueous-phase processing of BB emissions as a fundamental driver of SOA formation in wintertime, with important consequences for air quality policy at the global level.

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Natural sea-salt emissions moderate the climate forcing of anthropogenic nitrate

Ying Chen, Yafang Cheng, Nan Ma, Chao Wei, Liang Ran, Ralf Wolke, Johannes Größ, Qiaoqiao Wang, Andrea Pozzer, Hugo A. C. Denier van der Gon, Gerald Spindler, Jos Lelieveld, Ina Tegen, Hang Su, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 771–786,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-771-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-771-2020, 2020

Short summary

Particulate nitrate is one of the most important climate cooling agents. Our results show that interaction with sea-salt aerosol can shift nitrate to larger sized particles (redistribution effect), weakening its direct cooling effect. The modelling results indicate strong redistribution over coastal and offshore regions worldwide as well as continental Europe. Improving the consideration of the redistribution effect in global models fosters a better understanding of climate change.

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Sources of organic aerosols in Europe: a modeling study using CAMx with modified volatility basis set scheme

Jianhui Jiang, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Imad El-Haddad, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Hugo A. C. Denier van der Gon, Francesco Canonaco, Stefania Gilardoni, Marco Paglione, María Cruz Minguillón, Olivier Favez, Yunjiang Zhang, Nicolas Marchand, Liqing Hao, Annele Virtanen, Kalliopi Florou, Colin O'Dowd, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 15247–15270,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15247-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15247-2019, 2019

Short summary

We use an air quality model with a modified organic aerosol (OA) module based on chamber experiments to identify the OA sources and their contributions in Europe. Comparisons with long-term measurements at nine sites in 2011 show an improvement in OA simulation. Our results suggest that the biomass burning and biogenic emissions are the dominant sources in winter and summer, respectively. Contributions of diesel and gasoline vehicles are relatively small compared to a previous study in the US.

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Organic aerosol source apportionment in Zurich using an extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF-MS) – Part 1: Biogenic influences and day–night chemistry in summer

Giulia Stefenelli, Veronika Pospisilova, Felipe D. Lopez-Hilfiker, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Christoph Hüglin, Yandong Tong, Urs Baltensperger, André S. H. Prévôt, and Jay G. Slowik

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14825–14848,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14825-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14825-2019, 2019

Biomass burning and urban emission impacts in the Andes Cordillera region based on in situ measurements from the Chacaltaya observatory, Bolivia (5240 m a.s.l.)

Aurélien Chauvigné, Diego Aliaga, Karine Sellegri, Nadège Montoux, Radovan Krejci, Griša Močnik, Isabel Moreno, Thomas Müller, Marco Pandolfi, Fernando Velarde, Kay Weinhold, Patrick Ginot, Alfred Wiedensohler, Marcos Andrade, and Paolo Laj

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14805–14824,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14805-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14805-2019, 2019

Short summary

The study presents for the first time the analysis of aerosol optical properties at the unique high-altitude station of Chacaltaya, Bolivia. Ideally located, the station allows us to better understand influences of urban areas and the Amazon Forest on tropospheric properties. An emerging method is applied to characterize aerosol origins and permits us to illustrate evidence of natural and anthropogenic influences.

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On-flight intercomparison of three miniature aerosol absorption sensors using unmanned aerial systems (UASs)

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 6425–6447,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6425-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6425-2019, 2019

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Six-year source apportionment of submicron organic aerosols from near-continuous highly time-resolved measurements at SIRTA (Paris area, France)

Yunjiang Zhang, Olivier Favez, Jean-Eudes Petit, Francesco Canonaco, Francois Truong, Nicolas Bonnaire, Vincent Crenn, Tanguy Amodeo, Andre S. H. Prévôt, Jean Sciare, Valerie Gros, and Alexandre Albinet

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14755–14776,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14755-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14755-2019, 2019

Short summary

We present 6-year source apportionment of organic aerosol (OA) achieved with near-continuous online measurements and subsequent receptor model analysis in the Paris region, France. The OA factors presented distinct seasonal patterns, associated with different atmospheric formation processes and roles in air pollution. Limited year-round trends for two primary anthropogenic factors and a biogenic-like secondary factor were observed, while a more oxidized secondary OA showed a decreasing feature.

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Predominance of secondary organic aerosol to particle-bound reactive oxygen species activity in fine ambient aerosol

Jun Zhou, Miriam Elser, Ru-Jin Huang, Manuel Krapf, Roman Fröhlich, Deepika Bhattu, Giulia Stefenelli, Peter Zotter, Emily A. Bruns, Simone M. Pieber, Haiyan Ni, Qiyuan Wang, Yichen Wang, Yaqing Zhou, Chunying Chen, Mao Xiao, Jay G. Slowik, Samuel Brown, Laure-Estelle Cassagnes, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Thomas Nussbaumer, Marianne Geiser, André S. H. Prévôt, Imad El-Haddad, Junji Cao, Urs Baltensperger, and Josef Dommen

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14703–14720,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14703-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14703-2019, 2019

Short summary

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are believed to contribute to the adverse health effects of aerosols. We measured particle-bound ROS (PB-ROS) with an online instrument in two distinct environments, i.e., Beijing (China) and Bern (Switzerland). In both cities these exogenic ROS are predominantly related to secondary organic aerosol (SOA). PB-ROS content in SOA from various anthropogenic emission sources tested in the laboratory was comparable to that in the ambient measurements.

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Sun photometer retrievals of Saharan dust properties over Barbados during SALTRACE

Carlos Toledano, Benjamín Torres, Cristian Velasco-Merino, Dietrich Althausen, Silke Groß, Matthias Wiegner, Bernadett Weinzierl, Josef Gasteiger, Albert Ansmann, Ramiro González, David Mateos, David Farrel, Thomas Müller, Moritz Haarig, and Victoria E. Cachorro

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14571–14583,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14571-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14571-2019, 2019

Short summary

Ground-based sun photometers have been used to analyze the properties of long-range transported Saharan dust over Barbados. The measurements were carried out as part of the Saharan Aerosol Long-Range Transport and Aerosol–Cloud-Interaction Experiment (SALTRACE), carried out in the Caribbean in 2013. A variety of instruments, ground-based and airborne, were used in this research. In this paper, the sun photometer data are presented and related to data collected from other co-located instruments.

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New particle formation and its effect on cloud condensation nuclei abundance in the summer Arctic: a case study in the Fram Strait and Barents Sea

Simonas Kecorius, Teresa Vogl, Pauli Paasonen, Janne Lampilahti, Daniel Rothenberg, Heike Wex, Sebastian Zeppenfeld, Manuela van Pinxteren, Markus Hartmann, Silvia Henning, Xianda Gong, Andre Welti, Markku Kulmala, Frank Stratmann, Hartmut Herrmann, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14339–14364,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14339-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14339-2019, 2019

Short summary

Arctic sea-ice retreat, atmospheric new particle formation (NPF), and aerosol–cloud interaction may all be linked via a positive feedback mechanism. Understanding the sources of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) is an important piece in the Arctic amplification puzzle. We show that Arctic newly formed particles do not have to grow beyond the Aitken mode to act as CCN. This is important, because NPF occurrence in the Arctic is expected to increase, making it a significant contributor to CCN budget.

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The effect of rapid relative humidity changes on fast filter-based aerosol-particle light-absorption measurements: uncertainties and correction schemes

Sebastian Düsing, Birgit Wehner, Thomas Müller, Almond Stöcker, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 5879–5895,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5879-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5879-2019, 2019

Short summary

This study examines the effect of changes in relative humidity on measurements made by two different filter-based absorption photometers. Different filter loads, loading materials, and filter types are considered. It was found that both instruments react opposingly and with different magnitudes. One of the devices showed a variation in the dependence on the loading material. For each of the two devices, a correction approach is provided. Recommendations based on the findings are given.

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Composition and origin of PM_2.5 aerosol particles in the upper Rhine valley in summer

Xiaoli Shen, Heike Vogel, Bernhard Vogel, Wei Huang, Claudia Mohr, Ramakrishna Ramisetty, Thomas Leisner, André S. H. Prévôt, and Harald Saathoff

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 13189–13208,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13189-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13189-2019, 2019

Short summary

This study provides good insight into the chemical nature and complex origin of aerosols by combining comprehensive field observations and transport modelling. We suggest that factors related to topography, metrological conditions, local emissions, in situ formation and growth, regional transport, and the interaction of biogenic and anthropogenic compounds need to be considered for a comprehensive understanding of aerosol processes.

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Nepal emission inventory – Part I: Technologies and combustion sources (NEEMI-Tech) for 2001–2016

Pankaj Sadavarte, Maheswar Rupakheti, Prakash Bhave, Kiran Shakya, and Mark Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 12953–12973,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12953-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12953-2019, 2019

Short summary

Emission inventory studies are an important regulatory tool for quantifying the amount of pollutants released in the atmosphere using the fuel consumption and emission rates for different fuels. This study developed an emission inventory over Nepal for 2001–2016 that reveals the changing fuel consumption and subsequently the pollution across different sectors of industrial, transport, agricultural, commercial and residential uses with the use of spatial distribution of anthropogenic activities.

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Secondary organic aerosol formation from smoldering and flaming combustion of biomass: a box model parametrization based on volatility basis set

Giulia Stefenelli, Jianhui Jiang, Amelie Bertrand, Emily A. Bruns, Simone M. Pieber, Urs Baltensperger, Nicolas Marchand, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, André S. H. Prévôt, Jay G. Slowik, and Imad El Haddad

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 11461–11484,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11461-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11461-2019, 2019

Short summary

Box model simulations, based on the volatility basis set approach, of smog chamber wood combustion experiments conducted at different temperatures (−10 °C, 2 °C, 15 °C), emission loads, combustion conditions (flaming and smoldering) and residential stoves fabricated in the last 2 decades. Novel parameterization methods based on a genetic algorithm approach allowed estimation of precursor class contributions to SOA and evaluation of the effect of emission variability on SOA yield predictions.

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An extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF) for online measurement of atmospheric aerosol particles

Felipe D. Lopez-Hilfiker, Veronika Pospisilova, Wei Huang, Markus Kalberer, Claudia Mohr, Giulia Stefenelli, Joel A. Thornton, Urs Baltensperger, Andre S. H. Prevot, and Jay G. Slowik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 4867–4886,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4867-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4867-2019, 2019

Short summary

We present a novel, field-deployable extractive electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF), which provides real-time, near-molecular measurements of organic aerosol at atmospherically relevant concentrations, addressing a critical gap in existing measurement capabilities. Successful deployments of the EESI-TOF for laboratory measurements, ground-based ambient sampling, and aboard a research aircraft highlight the versatility and potential of the EESI-TOF system.

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Methodology for high-quality mobile measurement with focus on black carbon and particle mass concentrations

Honey Dawn C. Alas, Kay Weinhold, Francesca Costabile, Antonio Di Ianni, Thomas Müller, Sascha Pfeifer, Luca Di Liberto, Jay R. Turner, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 4697–4712,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4697-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4697-2019, 2019

Short summary

Traffic-related air pollutants are highly variable in space. To determine their spatial distribution in relation to human exposure, portable black carbon and PM_2.5 mass concentration sensors aboard mobile platforms can be used. High-spatial-resolution data can help improve exposure estimates. The quality of these data becomes increasingly important. This study provides a detailed methodology on how to achieve highly quality assured data from the abovementioned mobile measurements.

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Characterization of aerosol properties at Cyprus, focusing on cloud condensation nuclei and ice-nucleating particles

Xianda Gong, Heike Wex, Thomas Müller, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kristina Höhler, Konrad Kandler, Nan Ma, Barbara Dietel, Thea Schiebel, Ottmar Möhler, and Frank Stratmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 10883–10900,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10883-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10883-2019, 2019

Short summary

For the diverse aerosol on Cyprus, we found the following: new particle formation can be a source of cloud condensation nuclei. Particle hygroscopicity showed that particles ~<100 nm contained mostly organic material, while larger ones were more hygroscopic. Two separate methods obtained similar concentrations of ice-nucleating particles (INP), with mostly no evidence of a local origin. Different parameterizations overestimated INP concentration in this rather polluted region.

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Nepal Ambient Monitoring and Source Testing Experiment (NAMaSTE): emissions of particulate matter and sulfur dioxide from vehicles and brick kilns and their impacts on air quality in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Min Zhong, Eri Saikawa, Alexander Avramov, Chen Chen, Boya Sun, Wenlu Ye, William C. Keene, Robert J. Yokelson, Thilina Jayarathne, Elizabeth A. Stone, Maheswar Rupakheti, and Arnico K. Panday

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 8209–8228,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8209-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8209-2019, 2019

Short summary

Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues in the Kathmandu Valley, the capital city of Nepal. We estimated emissions from two of the major source types in the valley (vehicles and brick kilns) and found that they have significant impacts on air quality surrounding the valley. Our results highlight the importance of improving local emissions estimates for air quality modeling.

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Organic aerosol source apportionment in Zurich using an extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF-MS) – Part 2: Biomass burning influences in winter

Lu Qi, Mindong Chen, Giulia Stefenelli, Veronika Pospisilova, Yandong Tong, Amelie Bertrand, Christoph Hueglin, Xinlei Ge, Urs Baltensperger, André S. H. Prévôt, and Jay G. Slowik

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 8037–8062,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8037-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8037-2019, 2019

Short summary

Current understanding of OA sources is limited by the chemical resolution of existing real-time measurement technology. We describe the first wintertime deployment of a novel extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer, which provides near-molecular OA measurements with high time resolution. We show that biomass combustion strongly influences winter OA. Via factor analysis, aging-dependent signatures and time contributions of biomass-combustion-derived OA are resolved.

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Development of a versatile source apportionment analysis based on positive matrix factorization: a case study of the seasonal variation of organic aerosol sources in Estonia

Athanasia Vlachou, Anna Tobler, Houssni Lamkaddam, Francesco Canonaco, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, María Cruz Minguillón, Marek Maasikmets, Erik Teinemaa, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 7279–7295,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7279-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7279-2019, 2019

Short summary

The resolution of rotational ambiguity in positive matrix factorization (PMF) models is a major challenge. Here, we developed a method based on bootstrapping and correlations to extract environmentally meaningful solutions from PMF analysis based on offline aerosol mass spectrometry data. The method has been tested on a dataset that covers 1 full year of filter samples collected at three different sites in Estonia.

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Impact of anthropogenic and biogenic sources on the seasonal variation in the molecular composition of urban organic aerosols: a field and laboratory study using ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry

Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Ivan Kourtchev, Alexander L. Vogel, Emily A. Bruns, Jianhui Jiang, Tuukka Petäjä, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Markus Kalberer, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 5973–5991,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5973-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5973-2019, 2019

Short summary

Here we present the molecular composition of the organic aerosol (OA) at an urban site in Central Europe (Zurich, Switzerland) and compare it to smog chamber wood smoke and ambient biogenic secondary OA (SOA) (Orbitrap analyses). Accordingly, we are able to explain the strong seasonality of the molecular composition by aged wood smoke and biogenic SOA during winter and summer. Our results could also explain the predominance of non-fossil organic carbon at European locations throughout the year.

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The EMEP Intensive Measurement Period campaign, 2008–2009: characterizing carbonaceous aerosol at nine rural sites in Europe

Karl Espen Yttri, David Simpson, Robert Bergström, Gyula Kiss, Sönke Szidat, Darius Ceburnis, Sabine Eckhardt, Christoph Hueglin, Jacob Klenø Nøjgaard, Cinzia Perrino, Ignazio Pisso, Andre Stephan Henry Prevot, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Gerald Spindler, Milan Vana, Yan-Lin Zhang, and Wenche Aas

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4211–4233,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4211-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4211-2019, 2019

Short summary

Carbonaceous aerosols from natural sources were abundant regardless of season. Residential wood burning (RWB) emissions were occasionally equally as large as or larger than of fossil-fuel sources, depending on season and region. RWB emissions are poorly constrained; thus emissions inventories need improvement. Harmonizing emission factors between countries is likely the most important step to improve model calculations for biomass burning emissions and European PM_2.5 concentrations in general.

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Effects of two different biogenic emission models on modelled ozone and aerosol concentrations in Europe

Jianhui Jiang, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Emmanouil Oikonomakis, Imad El-Haddad, Francesco Canonaco, Colin O'Dowd, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, María Cruz Minguillón, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 3747–3768,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-3747-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-3747-2019, 2019

Short summary

Biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from vegetation are essential inputs for air quality models but their uncertainties are very high. In this study we show the importance of BVOC emissions for modelled ozone and aerosol concentrations in Europe. Using different biogenic emissions from MEGAN and PSI models significantly affected organic aerosols (smaller effect on ozone), indicating the importance of harmonising the BVOC emissions in the model inter-comparison studies.

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Constructing a data-driven receptor model for organic and inorganic aerosol – a synthesis analysis of eight mass spectrometric data sets from a boreal forest site

Mikko Äijälä, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Francesco Canonaco, Liine Heikkinen, Heikki Junninen, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, André S. H. Prévôt, and Mikael Ehn

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 3645–3672,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-3645-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-3645-2019, 2019

Short summary

Aerosol mass spectrometry produces large amounts of complex data, the analysis of which necessitates chemometrics – the application of advanced statistical and mathematical tools to chemical data. Here, we perform a data-driven analysis of multiple aerosol mass spectrometric data sets, to show that the traditional separation of organics and inorganics is not necessary. The resulting 7-component aerosol speciation explains 83 % to 96 % of observed variability at our boreal forest experiment site.

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Molecular characterization of organic aerosols in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: insights into primary and secondary sources

Xin Wan, Shichang Kang, Maheswar Rupakheti, Qianggong Zhang, Lekhendra Tripathee, Junming Guo, Pengfei Chen, Dipesh Rupakheti, Arnico K. Panday, Mark G. Lawrence, Kimitaka Kawamura, and Zhiyuan Cong

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2725–2747,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2725-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2725-2019, 2019

Short summary

The sources of primary and secondary aerosols in the Hindu Kush–Himalayan–Tibetan Plateau region are not well known. Organic molecular tracers are useful for aerosol source apportionment. The characterization of molecular tracers were first systemically investigated and the contribution from primary and secondary sources to carbonaceous aerosols was estimated in the Kathmandu Valley. Our results demonstrate that biomass burning contributed a significant fraction to OC in the Kathmandu Valley.

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Wintertime secondary organic aerosol formation in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH): contributions of HONO sources and heterogeneous reactions

Li Xing, Jiarui Wu, Miriam Elser, Shengrui Tong, Suixin Liu, Xia Li, Lang Liu, Junji Cao, Jiamao Zhou, Imad El-Haddad, Rujin Huang, Maofa Ge, Xuexi Tie, André S. H. Prévôt, and Guohui Li

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2343–2359,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2343-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2343-2019, 2019

Short summary

We used the WRF-CHEM model to simulate wintertime secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentrations over Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), China. Heterogeneous HONO sources increased the near-surface SOA by 46.3 % in BTH. Direct emissions of glyoxal and methylglyoxal from residential sources contributed 25.5 % to the total SOA mass. Our study highlights the importance of heterogeneous HONO sources and primary residential emissions of glyoxal and methylglyoxal to SOA formation in winter over BTH.

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Primary emissions versus secondary formation of fine particulate matter in the most polluted city (Shijiazhuang) in North China

Ru-Jin Huang, Yichen Wang, Junji Cao, Chunshui Lin, Jing Duan, Qi Chen, Yongjie Li, Yifang Gu, Jin Yan, Wei Xu, Roman Fröhlich, Francesco Canonaco, Carlo Bozzetti, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, Manjula R. Canagaratna, John Jayne, Douglas R. Worsnop, Imad El-Haddad, André S. H. Prévôt, and Colin D. O'Dowd

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2283–2298,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2283-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2283-2019, 2019

Short summary

We found that in wintertime Shijiazhuang fine PM was mostly from primary emissions without sufficient atmospheric aging. In addition, secondary inorganic and organic aerosol dominated in pollution events under high-RH conditions, likely due to enhanced aqueous-phase chemistry, whereas primary organic aerosol dominated in pollution events under low-RH and stagnant conditions. Our results also highlighted the importance of meteorological conditions for PM pollution in this highly polluted city.

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Seasonal and diurnal variability in O₃, black carbon, and CO measured at the Rwanda Climate Observatory

H. Langley DeWitt, Jimmy Gasore, Maheswar Rupakheti, Katherine E. Potter, Ronald G. Prinn, Jean de Dieu Ndikubwimana, Julius Nkusi, and Bonfils Safari

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2063–2078,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2063-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2063-2019, 2019

Short summary

Air quality in rapidly developing East Africa is a growing but understudied concern. We analyzed long-term black carbon, carbon monoxide, and ozone measurements from the remote Rwanda Climate Observatory and found that seasonal regional biomass burning raised black carbon levels to above-urban concentrations 6 months out of the year. Additional local pollution could exacerbate this issue. More regional monitoring needs to be done to understand and reduce air pollution in this region.

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An overview of airborne measurement in Nepal – Part 1: Vertical profile of aerosol size, number, spectral absorption, and meteorology

Ashish Singh, Khadak S. Mahata, Maheswar Rupakheti, Wolfgang Junkermann, Arnico K. Panday, and Mark G. Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 245–258,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-245-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-245-2019, 2019

Short summary

This paper reports the first airborne measurement campaign in the central Himalayan foothill region, one of the polluted but relatively poorly sampled regions of the world. The measurement campaign quantifies the vertical distribution of aerosols over a polluted mountain valley in the Himalayan foothills and investigates the extent of regional emission transport.

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Source apportionment of the organic aerosol over the Atlantic Ocean from 53° N to 53° S: significant contributions from marine emissions and long-range transport

Shan Huang, Zhijun Wu, Laurent Poulain, Manuela van Pinxteren, Maik Merkel, Denise Assmann, Hartmut Herrmann, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 18043–18062,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-18043-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-18043-2018, 2018

Short summary

The Atlantic aerosols are characterized based on high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) measurements during four open-ocean cruises. This unique data set provides the latitudinal distribution of source contributions of organic aerosols (OAs) over the Atlantic Ocean, showing that marine sources could control the OA formation over the South Atlantic, while strong continental influence was found near Africa and Europe.

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Production of particulate brown carbon during atmospheric aging of residential wood-burning emissions

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17843–17861,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17843-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17843-2018, 2018

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Vertical and horizontal distribution of regional new particle formation events in Madrid

Cristina Carnerero, Noemí Pérez, Cristina Reche, Marina Ealo, Gloria Titos, Hong-Ku Lee, Hee-Ram Eun, Yong-Hee Park, Lubna Dada, Pauli Paasonen, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Enrique Mantilla, Miguel Escudero, Francisco J. Gómez-Moreno, Elisabeth Alonso-Blanco, Esther Coz, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, Brice Temime-Roussel, Nicolas Marchand, David C. S. Beddows, Roy M. Harrison, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, Kang-Ho Ahn, Andrés Alastuey, and Xavier Querol

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 16601–16618,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-16601-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-16601-2018, 2018

Short summary

The vertical distribution of new particle formation events was studied using tethered balloons carrying miniaturized instrumentation. Results show that new particle formation and growth occurs only in the lower layer of the atmosphere, where aerosols are mixed due to convection, especially when the atmosphere is clean. A comparison of urban and suburban surface stations was also made, suggesting that such events may have a significant impact on ultrafine particle concentrations in a wide area.

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Aerosol chemistry and particle growth events at an urban downwind site in North China Plain

Yingjie Zhang, Wei Du, Yuying Wang, Qingqing Wang, Haofei Wang, Haitao Zheng, Fang Zhang, Hongrong Shi, Yuxuan Bian, Yongxiang Han, Pingqing Fu, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Tong Zhu, Pucai Wang, Zhanqing Li, and Yele Sun

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14637–14651,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14637-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14637-2018, 2018

Short summary

We have a comprehensive characterization of aerosol chemistry and particle growth events at a downwind site of a highly polluted city in the North China Plain. Aerosol particles at the urban downwind site were highly aged and mainly from secondary formation. New particle growth events were also frequently observed on both clean and polluted days. While both sulfate and SOA played important roles in particle growth during clean periods, SOA was more important than sulfate during polluted events.

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Global analysis of continental boundary layer new particle formation based on long-term measurements

Tuomo Nieminen, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Tuukka Petäjä, Pasi P. Aalto, Mikhail Arshinov, Eija Asmi, Urs Baltensperger, David C. S. Beddows, Johan Paul Beukes, Don Collins, Aijun Ding, Roy M. Harrison, Bas Henzing, Rakesh Hooda, Min Hu, Urmas Hõrrak, Niku Kivekäs, Kaupo Komsaare, Radovan Krejci, Adam Kristensson, Lauri Laakso, Ari Laaksonen, W. Richard Leaitch, Heikki Lihavainen, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Zoltán Németh, Wei Nie, Colin O'Dowd, Imre Salma, Karine Sellegri, Birgitta Svenningsson, Erik Swietlicki, Peter Tunved, Vidmantas Ulevicius, Ville Vakkari, Marko Vana, Alfred Wiedensohler, Zhijun Wu, Annele Virtanen, and Markku Kulmala

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14737–14756,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14737-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14737-2018, 2018

Short summary

Atmospheric aerosols have diverse effects on air quality, human health, and global climate. One important source of aerosols is their formation via nucleation and growth in the atmosphere. We have analyzed long-term observations of regional new particle formation events around the globe and provide a comprehensive view on the characteristics of this phenomenon in diverse environments. The results are useful in developing more realistic representation of atmospheric aerosols in global models.

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Observation and analysis of spatiotemporal characteristics of surface ozone and carbon monoxide at multiple sites in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Khadak Singh Mahata, Maheswar Rupakheti, Arnico Kumar Panday, Piyush Bhardwaj, Manish Naja, Ashish Singh, Andrea Mues, Paolo Cristofanelli, Deepak Pudasainee, Paolo Bonasoni, and Mark G. Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14113–14132,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14113-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14113-2018, 2018

Short summary

This paper presents the first-time simultaneous measurement of CO and O₃ at multiple sites in the Kathmandu Valley bottom, its mountain rim and a river outlet, providing their spatial, temporal and seasonal–diurnal variations. Our study reveals that high O₃, especially during premonsoon, in observed sites is of high concern for human health and ecosystems in the region. We also estimated CO emission flux to be 2–14 times higher than widely used emission databases (EDGAR HTAP, REAS and INTEX-B).

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Heterogeneous N₂O₅ uptake coefficient and production yield of ClNO₂ in polluted northern China: roles of aerosol water content and chemical composition

Yee Jun Tham, Zhe Wang, Qinyi Li, Weihao Wang, Xinfeng Wang, Keding Lu, Nan Ma, Chao Yan, Simonas Kecorius, Alfred Wiedensohler, Yuanhang Zhang, and Tao Wang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 13155–13171,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13155-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13155-2018, 2018

Short summary

This study addresses the limited understanding of heterogeneous N₂O₅ uptake and ClNO₂ production in the polluted environment of China. The results showed that N₂O₅ uptake and ClNO₂ yield cannot be well explained by previous parameterizations and were largely influenced by factors like aerosol water content and biomass burning emission. Our findings illuminate the need to realistically parameterize these heterogeneous processes for better simulation of photochemical and haze pollution in China.

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Variations in surface ozone and carbon monoxide in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding broader regions during SusKat-ABC field campaign: role of local and regional sources

Piyush Bhardwaj, Manish Naja, Maheswar Rupakheti, Aurelia Lupascu, Andrea Mues, Arnico Kumar Panday, Rajesh Kumar, Khadak Singh Mahata, Shyam Lal, Harish C. Chandola, and Mark G. Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11949–11971,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11949-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11949-2018, 2018

Short summary

This study provides information about the regional variabilities in some of the pollutants using observations in Nepal and India. It is shown that agricultural crop residue burning leads to a significant enhancement in ozone and CO over a wider region. Further, the wintertime higher ozone levels are shown to be largely due to local emissions, while regional transport could be important in spring and hence shows the role of regional sources versus local sources in the Kathmandu Valley.

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Exploration of PM_2.5 sources on the regional scale in the Pearl River Delta based on ME-2 modeling

Xiao-Feng Huang, Bei-Bing Zou, Ling-Yan He, Min Hu, André S. H. Prévôt, and Yuan-Hang Zhang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11563–11580,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11563-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11563-2018, 2018

Short summary

A novel multilinear engine (ME-2) model was applied to the PM_2.5 dataset observed in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) of China in 2015 and identified the sources of secondary sulfate (21 %), vehicle emissions (14 %), industrial emissions (13 %), secondary nitrate (11 %), biomass burning (11 %), secondary organic aerosol (7 %), coal burning (6 %), fugitive dust (5 %), ship emissions (3 %) and aged sea salt (2 %). The central PRD area was clearly identified as the key emission area in the PRD.

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Influence of the vapor wall loss on the degradation rate constants in chamber experiments of levoglucosan and other biomass burning markers

Amelie Bertrand, Giulia Stefenelli, Simone M. Pieber, Emily A. Bruns, Brice Temime-Roussel, Jay G. Slowik, Henri Wortham, André S. H. Prévôt, Imad El Haddad, and Nicolas Marchand

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10915–10930,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10915-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10915-2018, 2018

Short summary

We model the evolution of several BBOA markers including levoglucosan during aging experiments conducted in an atmospheric Teflon chamber, in order to evaluate the influence of vapor wall loss on the determination of the rate constants of the compounds with hydroxyl radicals (OH).

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Simulation of atmospheric organic aerosol using its volatility–oxygen-content distribution during the PEGASOS 2012 campaign

Eleni Karnezi, Benjamin N. Murphy, Laurent Poulain, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, Florian Rubach, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Thomas F. Mentel, and Spyros N. Pandis

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10759–10772,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10759-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10759-2018, 2018

Short summary

Different parameterizations of the organic aerosol (OA) formation and evolution are evaluated using ground and airborne measurements collected in the 2012 PEGASOS field campaign in the Po Valley (Italy). Total OA concentration and O : C ratios were reproduced within experimental error by a number of schemes. Anthropogenic secondary OA (SOA) contributed 15–25 % of the total OA, 20–35 % of SOA from intermediate volatility compounds oxidation, and 15–45 % of biogenic SOA depending on the scheme.

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Contributions of residential coal combustion to the air quality in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), China: a case study

Xia Li, Jiarui Wu, Miriam Elser, Tian Feng, Junji Cao, Imad El-Haddad, Rujin Huang, Xuexi Tie, André S. H. Prévôt, and Guohui Li

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10675–10691,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10675-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10675-2018, 2018

Status and future of numerical atmospheric aerosol prediction with a focus on data requirements

Angela Benedetti, Jeffrey S. Reid, Peter Knippertz, John H. Marsham, Francesca Di Giuseppe, Samuel Rémy, Sara Basart, Olivier Boucher, Ian M. Brooks, Laurent Menut, Lucia Mona, Paolo Laj, Gelsomina Pappalardo, Alfred Wiedensohler, Alexander Baklanov, Malcolm Brooks, Peter R. Colarco, Emilio Cuevas, Arlindo da Silva, Jeronimo Escribano, Johannes Flemming, Nicolas Huneeus, Oriol Jorba, Stelios Kazadzis, Stefan Kinne, Thomas Popp, Patricia K. Quinn, Thomas T. Sekiyama, Taichu Tanaka, and Enric Terradellas

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10615–10643,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10615-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10615-2018, 2018

Short summary

Numerical prediction of aerosol particle properties has become an important activity at many research and operational weather centers. This development is due to growing interest from a diverse set of stakeholders, such as air quality regulatory bodies, aviation authorities, solar energy plant managers, climate service providers, and health professionals. This paper describes the advances in the field and sets out requirements for observations for the sustainability of these activities.

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Gas-phase composition and secondary organic aerosol formation from standard and particle filter-retrofitted gasoline direct injection vehicles investigated in a batch and flow reactor

Simone M. Pieber, Nivedita K. Kumar, Felix Klein, Pierre Comte, Deepika Bhattu, Josef Dommen, Emily A. Bruns, Doǧuşhan Kılıç, Imad El Haddad, Alejandro Keller, Jan Czerwinski, Norbert Heeb, Urs Baltensperger, Jay G. Slowik, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 9929–9954,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9929-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9929-2018, 2018

Short summary

We studied primary emissions and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicles including GDIs retrofitted with gasoline particle filters (GPF). GPF retrofitting significantly decreased the primary particulate matter, particularly through removal of refractory black carbon and, to a lesser extent, of non-refractory organic particulates. SOA experiments were conducted in a batch and flow reactor. GPF retrofitting did not significantly affect precursors or yields.

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Solar “brightening” impact on summer surface ozone between 1990 and 2010 in Europe – a model sensitivity study of the influence of the aerosol–radiation interactions

Emmanouil Oikonomakis, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Martin Wild, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Urs Baltensperger, and André Stephan Henry Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 9741–9765,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9741-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9741-2018, 2018

Short summary

We report a model sensitivity study on the impact of aerosol–radiation interaction (ARI) changes in Europe between 1990 and 2010 on summer surface ozone via effects on photolysis rates and biogenic emissions. The overall impact of ARI changes on ozone was relatively small when compared to the total ozone concentrations, but it was more important when compared to the order of magnitude of ozone trends, indicating a potential partial damping of the effects of ozone precursor emissions' reduction.

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An apportionment method for the oxidative potential of atmospheric particulate matter sources: application to a one-year study in Chamonix, France

Samuël Weber, Gaëlle Uzu, Aude Calas, Florie Chevrier, Jean-Luc Besombes, Aurélie Charron, Dalia Salameh, Irena Ježek, Griša Močnik, and Jean-Luc Jaffrezo

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 9617–9629,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9617-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9617-2018, 2018

Short summary

The oxidative potential (OP) of the PM appears to be a relevant proxy of health outcomes from PM exposure. We developed a new statistical model using a coupled approach with positive matrix factorization (PMF) and multiple linear regressions to attribute a redox activity per PM sources. Our results highlight the importance of biomass burning and vehicular sources to explain the observed OP of PM. A different contribution of the sources is observed when considering OP or the mass of the PM¹⁰.

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Source apportionment of organic aerosol from 2-year highly time-resolved measurements by an aerosol chemical speciation monitor in Beijing, China

Yele Sun, Weiqi Xu, Qi Zhang, Qi Jiang, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Pingqing Fu, Jie Li, John Jayne, Douglas R. Worsnop, and Zifa Wang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 8469–8489,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8469-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8469-2018, 2018

Short summary

We present a 2–year analysis of organic aerosol (OA) from highly time–resolved measurements by an aerosol chemical speciation monitor in the megacity of Beijing. The sources of OA were analyzed with the advanced factor analysis of a multilinear engine (ME-2). Our results showed very different seasonal patterns, relative humidity and temperature dependence, and sources regions among different OA factors. The sources and processes of OA factors, and their roles in haze pollution are elucidated.

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WRF and WRF-Chem v3.5.1 simulations of meteorology and black carbon concentrations in the Kathmandu Valley

Andrea Mues, Axel Lauer, Aurelia Lupascu, Maheswar Rupakheti, Friderike Kuik, and Mark G. Lawrence

Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 2067–2091,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-2067-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-2067-2018, 2018

A European aerosol phenomenology – 6: scattering properties of atmospheric aerosol particles from 28 ACTRIS sites

Marco Pandolfi, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Andrés Alastuey, Marcos Andrade, Christo Angelov, Begoña Artiñano, John Backman, Urs Baltensperger, Paolo Bonasoni, Nicolas Bukowiecki, Martine Collaud Coen, Sébastien Conil, Esther Coz, Vincent Crenn, Vadimas Dudoitis, Marina Ealo, Kostas Eleftheriadis, Olivier Favez, Prodromos Fetfatzis, Markus Fiebig, Harald Flentje, Patrick Ginot, Martin Gysel, Bas Henzing, Andras Hoffer, Adela Holubova Smejkalova, Ivo Kalapov, Nikos Kalivitis, Giorgos Kouvarakis, Adam Kristensson, Markku Kulmala, Heikki Lihavainen, Chris Lunder, Krista Luoma, Hassan Lyamani, Angela Marinoni, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Marcel Moerman, José Nicolas, Colin O'Dowd, Tuukka Petäjä, Jean-Eudes Petit, Jean Marc Pichon, Nina Prokopciuk, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Sergio Rodríguez, Jean Sciare, Karine Sellegri, Erik Swietlicki, Gloria Titos, Thomas Tuch, Peter Tunved, Vidmantas Ulevicius, Aditya Vaishya, Milan Vana, Aki Virkkula, Stergios Vratolis, Ernest Weingartner, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Paolo Laj

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7877–7911,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7877-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7877-2018, 2018

Short summary

This investigation presents the variability in near-surface in situ aerosol particle light-scattering measurements obtained over the past decade at 28 measuring atmospheric observatories which are part of the ACTRIS Research Infrastructure, and most of them belong to the GAW network. This paper provides a comprehensive picture of the spatial and temporal variability of aerosol particles optical properties in Europe.

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Evolution of the chemical fingerprint of biomass burning organic aerosol during aging

Amelie Bertrand, Giulia Stefenelli, Coty N. Jen, Simone M. Pieber, Emily A. Bruns, Haiyan Ni, Brice Temime-Roussel, Jay G. Slowik, Allen H. Goldstein, Imad El Haddad, Urs Baltensperger, André S. H. Prévôt, Henri Wortham, and Nicolas Marchand

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7607–7624,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7607-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7607-2018, 2018

Short summary

A thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatograph coupled to an aerosol mass spectrometer (TAG–AMS) is connected to an atmospheric chamber. The setup serves the quantitative study of the impact of combustion conditions and atmospheric aging on the chemical fingerprint at the molecular level of biomass burning organic aerosol.

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Identification of secondary aerosol precursors emitted by an aircraft turbofan

Doğuşhan Kılıç, Imad El Haddad, Benjamin T. Brem, Emily Bruns, Carlo Bozetti, Joel Corbin, Lukas Durdina, Ru-Jin Huang, Jianhui Jiang, Felix Klein, Avi Lavi, Simone M. Pieber, Theo Rindlisbacher, Yinon Rudich, Jay G. Slowik, Jing Wang, Urs Baltensperger, and Andre S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7379–7391,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7379-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7379-2018, 2018

Short summary

We study primary emissions and secondary aerosol (SA) from an aircraft turbofan. By monitoring the chemical composition of both gaseous and particulate emissions at different engine loads, we explained SA formed in an oxidation flow reactor (PAM) by the oxidation of gaseous species. At idle, more than 90 % of the secondary particle mass was organic and could be explained by the oxidation of gaseous aromatic species, while at an approximated cruise load sulfates comprised 85 % of the total SA.

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Simulation of fine organic aerosols in the western Mediterranean area during the ChArMEx 2013 summer campaign

Arineh Cholakian, Matthias Beekmann, Augustin Colette, Isabelle Coll, Guillaume Siour, Jean Sciare, Nicolas Marchand, Florian Couvidat, Jorge Pey, Valerie Gros, Stéphane Sauvage, Vincent Michoud, Karine Sellegri, Aurélie Colomb, Karine Sartelet, Helen Langley DeWitt, Miriam Elser, André S. H. Prévot, Sonke Szidat, and François Dulac

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7287–7312,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7287-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7287-2018, 2018

Short summary

In this work, four schemes for the simulation of organic aerosols in the western Mediterranean basin are added to the CHIMERE chemistry–transport model; the resulting simulations are then compared to measurements obtained from ChArMEx. It is concluded that the scheme taking into account the fragmentation and the formation of nonvolatile organic aerosols corresponds better to measurements; the major source of this aerosol in the western Mediterranean is found to be of biogenic origin.

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Hygroscopic growth study in the framework of EARLINET during the SLOPE I campaign: synergy of remote sensing and in situ instrumentation

Andrés Esteban Bedoya-Velásquez, Francisco Navas-Guzmán, María José Granados-Muñoz, Gloria Titos, Roberto Román, Juan Andrés Casquero-Vera, Pablo Ortiz-Amezcua, Jose Antonio Benavent-Oltra, Gregori de Arruda Moreira, Elena Montilla-Rosero, Carlos David Hoyos, Begoña Artiñano, Esther Coz, Francisco José Olmo-Reyes, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, and Juan Luis Guerrero-Rascado

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7001–7017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7001-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7001-2018, 2018

Short summary

This study focuses on the analysis of aerosol hygroscopic growth during the SLOPE I campaign combining active and passive remote sensors at ACTRIS Granada station and in situ instrumentation at a mountain station (Sierra Nevada station, SNS). The results showed good agreement on gamma parameters by using remote sensing with respect to those calculated using Mie theory at SNS, with relative differences lower than 9 % at 532 nm and 11 % at 355 nm.

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Particle-bound reactive oxygen species (PB-ROS) emissions and formation pathways in residential wood smoke under different combustion and aging conditions

Jun Zhou, Peter Zotter, Emily A. Bruns, Giulia Stefenelli, Deepika Bhattu, Samuel Brown, Amelie Bertrand, Nicolas Marchand, Houssni Lamkaddam, Jay G. Slowik, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, Thomas Nussbaumer, Imad El-Haddad, and Josef Dommen

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 6985–7000,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6985-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6985-2018, 2018

Short summary

We thoroughly studied the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation potential of particulate wood combustion emissions, from different combustion technologies, fuel types, operation methods, combustion regimes and phases. ROS from automatically operated combustion devices under optimal conditions were much lower than those from manually operated appliances. We examined the impact of atmospheric aging on ROS content in SOA and determined the controlling parameters, by using an online ROS analyzer.

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Advanced source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosols by coupling offline AMS and radiocarbon size-segregated measurements over a nearly 2-year period

Athanasia Vlachou, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Carlo Bozzetti, Benjamin Chazeau, Gary A. Salazar, Soenke Szidat, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Christoph Hueglin, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 6187–6206,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6187-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6187-2018, 2018

Short summary

Carbonaceous aerosols are related to adverse human health effects, which depend on the aerosol chemical composition and size. Here, we combine aerosol mass spectrometry and radiocarbon measurements of size-resolved samples collected over a long term to identify the origins of primary and secondary carbonaceous aerosols in the fine and coarse modes.

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STUDY OF AEROSOL OPTICAL PROPERTIES OVER TWO SITES IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE CENTRAL HIMALAYAS

D. Rupakheti, S. Kang, Z. Cong, M. Rupakheti, L. Tripathee, A. K. Panday, and B. Holben

Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLII-3, 1493–1497,https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-3-1493-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-3-1493-2018, 2018

Vertical distribution of aerosol optical properties in the Po Valley during the 2012 summer campaigns

Silvia Bucci, Paolo Cristofanelli, Stefano Decesari, Angela Marinoni, Silvia Sandrini, Johannes Größ, Alfred Wiedensohler, Chiara F. Di Marco, Eiko Nemitz, Francesco Cairo, Luca Di Liberto, and Federico Fierli

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 5371–5389,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-5371-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-5371-2018, 2018

Short summary

This paper analyses some of the processes affecting PM levels over the Po Valley, one of the most polluted regions of Europe, during the 2012 summer campaigns. Under conditions of air transport from the Sahara, data show that desert dust can rapidly penetrate into the lower atmosphere, directly affecting the PM concentration at the ground. Processes of particles growth in high relative humidity and uplift of local soil particles, potentially affecting PM level, are also analysed.

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Large contribution of fossil fuel derived secondary organic carbon to water soluble organic aerosols in winter haze in China

Yan-Lin Zhang, Imad El-Haddad, Ru-Jin Huang, Kin-Fai Ho, Jun-Ji Cao, Yongming Han, Peter Zotter, Carlo Bozzetti, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Jay G. Slowik, Gary Salazar, André S. H. Prévôt, and Sönke Szidat

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 4005–4017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-4005-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-4005-2018, 2018

Short summary

Here we present a quantitative source apportionment of WSOC, isolated from aerosols in China using radiocarbon (¹⁴C) and offline high-resolution time of flight aerosol mass spectrometer measurements. We demonstrate a dominant contribution of non-fossil emissions to WSOC aerosols in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the fossil fraction is substantially larger in aerosols from East Asia and the east Asian pollution outflow, especially during winter, due to increasing coal combustion.

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Characterization and source apportionment of organic aerosol at 260 m on a meteorological tower in Beijing, China

Wei Zhou, Qingqing Wang, Xiujuan Zhao, Weiqi Xu, Chen Chen, Wei Du, Jian Zhao, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Pingqing Fu, Zifa Wang, Douglas R. Worsnop, and Yele Sun

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 3951–3968,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3951-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3951-2018, 2018

Short summary

We present a 3-month analysis of submicron aerosols that were measured at 260 m on a meteorological tower in Beijing, China. The sources of organic aerosol (OA) were analyzed by using a multi-linear engine (ME-2). Our results showed significant changes in both primary and secondary OA composition from the non-heating season to the heating season. We also observed a considerable contribution (10–13%) of cooking OA at 260 m and very different OA composition between ground level and 260 m.

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Long-term cloud condensation nuclei number concentration, particle number size distribution and chemical composition measurements at regionally representative observatories

Julia Schmale, Silvia Henning, Stefano Decesari, Bas Henzing, Helmi Keskinen, Karine Sellegri, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Mira L. Pöhlker, Joel Brito, Aikaterini Bougiatioti, Adam Kristensson, Nikos Kalivitis, Iasonas Stavroulas, Samara Carbone, Anne Jefferson, Minsu Park, Patrick Schlag, Yoko Iwamoto, Pasi Aalto, Mikko Äijälä, Nicolas Bukowiecki, Mikael Ehn, Göran Frank, Roman Fröhlich, Arnoud Frumau, Erik Herrmann, Hartmut Herrmann, Rupert Holzinger, Gerard Kos, Markku Kulmala, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Athanasios Nenes, Colin O'Dowd, Tuukka Petäjä, David Picard, Christopher Pöhlker, Ulrich Pöschl, Laurent Poulain, André Stephan Henry Prévôt, Erik Swietlicki, Meinrat O. Andreae, Paulo Artaxo, Alfred Wiedensohler, John Ogren, Atsushi Matsuki, Seong Soo Yum, Frank Stratmann, Urs Baltensperger, and Martin Gysel

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 2853–2881,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2853-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2853-2018, 2018

Short summary

Collocated long-term observations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations, particle number size distributions and chemical composition from 12 sites are synthesized. Observations cover coastal environments, the Arctic, the Mediterranean, the boreal and rain forest, high alpine and continental background sites, and Monsoon-influenced areas. We interpret regional and seasonal variability. CCN concentrations are predicted with theκ–Köhler model and compared to the measurements.

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Improved source apportionment of organic aerosols in complex urban air pollution using the multilinear engine (ME-2)

Qiao Zhu, Xiao-Feng Huang, Li-Ming Cao, Lin-Tong Wei, Bin Zhang, Ling-Yan He, Miriam Elser, Francesco Canonaco, Jay G. Slowik, Carlo Bozzetti, Imad El-Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 1049–1060,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1049-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1049-2018, 2018

Short summary

Organic aerosol constitutes one of the major components of atmospheric particulate matter globally and is emitted from various sources. Therefore, identifying and quantifying the sources of organic aerosol accurately is a key task in the field. In this study, we applied a rather novel procedure for an improved source apportionment method (ME-2) to resolve theless meaningful or mixed factors problems for organic aerosol using the traditional method (PMF).

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Insights into organic-aerosol sources via a novel laser-desorption/ionization mass spectrometry technique applied to one year of PM₁₀ samples from nine sites in central Europe

Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Imad El-Haddad, Lassi Karvonen, Athanasia Vlachou, Joel C. Corbin, Jay G. Slowik, Maarten F. Heringa, Emily A. Bruns, Samuel M. Luedin, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Sönke Szidat, Andrea Piazzalunga, Raquel Gonzalez, Paola Fermo, Valentin Pflueger, Guido Vogel, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 2155–2174,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2155-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2155-2018, 2018

Short summary

A novel offline LDI-MS method was developed to analyse particulate matter (PM) collected at multiple sites in central Europe during the entire year of 2013. PM sources were identified by positive matrix factorization. Wood burning emissions were separated according to the burning conditions; inefficient burns had a larger impact on air quality in southern Alpine valleys than in northern Switzerland. Moreover, primary tailpipe exhaust was distinguished from aged/secondary traffic emissions.

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Low modeled ozone production suggests underestimation of precursor emissions (especially NO_x) in Europe

Emmanouil Oikonomakis, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Urs Baltensperger, and André Stephan Henry Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 2175–2198,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2175-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2175-2018, 2018

Short summary

We report a modeling study investigating the uncertainties in ozone production in Europe. Using various methods for different emission and meteorological scenarios, we searched for the possible reasons for underestimation of high ozone levels in Europe by models. Our results suggest that emissions, especially NO_x, might be too low in the European inventories. Improvement of the modeled ozone production will contribute to more consistent and effective ozone mitigation strategies for the future.

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Atmospheric new particle formation at the research station Melpitz, Germany: connection with gaseous precursors and meteorological parameters

Johannes Größ, Amar Hamed, André Sonntag, Gerald Spindler, Hanna Elina Manninen, Tuomo Nieminen, Markku Kulmala, Urmas Hõrrak, Christian Plass-Dülmer, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Wolfram Birmili

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 1835–1861,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1835-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1835-2018, 2018

Short summary

This paper revisits the atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) process in the polluted troposphere. Novel aspects include a new NPF classification, which aims at more objectivity, and a long-term analysis of neutral cluster and air ion spectrometer data. Intense NPF events were associated with enhanced sulfur dioxide concentrations and solar radiation, while no significant relationships were observed with the condensation sink, surface-measured turbulence parameters, or ammonia.

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Helicopter-borne observations of the continental background aerosol in combination with remote sensing and ground-based measurements

Sebastian Düsing, Birgit Wehner, Patric Seifert, Albert Ansmann, Holger Baars, Florian Ditas, Silvia Henning, Nan Ma, Laurent Poulain, Holger Siebert, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Andreas Macke

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 1263–1290,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1263-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1263-2018, 2018

A parameterization of the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N₂O₅ for mass-based aerosol models: improvement of particulate nitrate prediction

Ying Chen, Ralf Wolke, Liang Ran, Wolfram Birmili, Gerald Spindler, Wolfram Schröder, Hang Su, Yafang Cheng, Ina Tegen, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 673–689,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-673-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-673-2018, 2018

Short summary

The heterogeneous hydrolysis of N₂O₅ on particle surfaces is crucial for the nitrogen cycle in the atmosphere. The reaction rate is determined by meteorological and particle properties, but its parameterization in previous 3-D modelling studies did not comprehensively consider these parameters. We propose a parameterization to take these into account and improve nitrate prediction; we report that the organic coating suppression on the N₂O₅ reaction is not as important as expected in the EU.

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Development, characterization and first deployment of an improved online reactive oxygen species analyzer

Jun Zhou, Emily A. Bruns, Peter Zotter, Giulia Stefenelli, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El-Haddad, and Josef Dommen

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 65–80,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-65-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-65-2018, 2018

Short summary

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the particle phase may induce oxidative stress in the human lungs upon inhalation. Here we present and thoroughly characterize a modified online and offline ROS analyzer. Selected model organic compounds were tested and potential interferences from gas-phase and matrix effects of particulate constituents were evaluated. ROS measurements of filter samples revealed the rapid decay of a substantial ROS fraction, supporting the application of online measurements.

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Impacts of meteorological uncertainties on the haze formation in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) during wintertime: a case study

Naifang Bei, Jiarui Wu, Miriam Elser, Tian Feng, Junji Cao, Imad El-Haddad, Xia Li, Rujin Huang, Zhengqiang Li, Xin Long, Li Xing, Shuyu Zhao, Xuexi Tie, André S. H. Prévôt, and Guohui Li

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 14579–14591,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14579-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14579-2017, 2017

Field characterization of the PM_2.5 Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor: insights into the composition, sources, and processes of fine particles in eastern China

Yunjiang Zhang, Lili Tang, Philip L. Croteau, Olivier Favez, Yele Sun, Manjula R. Canagaratna, Zhuang Wang, Florian Couvidat, Alexandre Albinet, Hongliang Zhang, Jean Sciare, André S. H. Prévôt, John T. Jayne, and Douglas R. Worsnop

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 14501–14517,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14501-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14501-2017, 2017

Short summary

We conducted the first field measurements of non-refractory fine aerosols (NR-PM_2.5) in a megacity of eastern China using a PM_2.5-ACSM along with a PM₁-ACSM measurement. Inter-comparisons demonstrated that the NR-PM_2.5 components can be characterized. Substantial mass fractions of aerosol species were observed in the size range of 1–2.5 μm, with sulfate and SOA being the two largest contributors. The impacts of aerosol water driven by secondary inorganic aerosols on SOA formation were explored.

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Long-term chemical analysis and organic aerosol source apportionment at nine sites in central Europe: source identification and uncertainty assessment

Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Giulia Stefenelli, Carlo Bozzetti, Athanasia Vlachou, Paola Fermo, Raquel Gonzalez, Andrea Piazzalunga, Cristina Colombi, Francesco Canonaco, Christoph Hueglin, Anne Kasper-Giebl, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Federico Bianchi, Jay G. Slowik, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El-Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 13265–13282,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-13265-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-13265-2017, 2017

Short summary

We present offline AMS analyses for the organic aerosol (OA) in PM₁₀ at nine sites in central Europe for 2013. Primary OA is separated into traffic, cooking, and wood-burning components. A factor explaining sulfur-containing ions, with an event-driven time series, is also separated. We observe enhanced production of secondary OA (SOA) in summer, following biogenic emissions with temperature. In winter a SOA component is dominant, which correlates with anthropogenic inorganic species.

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Seasonal and diurnal variations in methane and carbon dioxide in the Kathmandu Valley in the foothills of the central Himalayas

Khadak Singh Mahata, Arnico Kumar Panday, Maheswar Rupakheti, Ashish Singh, Manish Naja, and Mark G. Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 12573–12596,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12573-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12573-2017, 2017

Short summary

The paper provides an overview of CH₄, CO₂, and CO mixing ratios, including diurnal and seasonal variation, and discusses the association of potential sources and meteorology with the observed temporal variation in the Kathmandu Valley. The study will provide an important dataset for a poorly studied region and will be useful for validating estimates from emission inventories, regional models, and satellite observations and assisting in the design of mitigation measures in the region.

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Wintertime aerosol optical and radiative properties in the Kathmandu Valley during the SusKat-ABC field campaign

Chaeyoon Cho, Sang-Woo Kim, Maheswar Rupakheti, Jin-Soo Park, Arnico Panday, Soon-Chang Yoon, Ji-Hyoung Kim, Hyunjae Kim, Haeun Jeon, Minyoung Sung, Bong Mann Kim, Seungkyu K. Hong, Rokjin J. Park, Dipesh Rupakheti, Khadak Singh Mahata, Puppala Siva Praveen, Mark G. Lawrence, and Brent Holben

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 12617–12632,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12617-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12617-2017, 2017

Short summary

We investigated the optical and chemical properties and direct radiative effects of aerosols in the Kathmandu Valley. We concluded that the ratio of light-absorbing to scattering aerosols as well as the concentration of light-absorbing aerosols is much higher at Kathmandu than other comparable regions, and it contributes to a great atmospheric absorption efficiency. This study provides unprecedented insights into aerosol optical properties and their radiative forcings in the Kathmandu Valley.

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Pre-monsoon air quality over Lumbini, a world heritage site along the Himalayan foothills

Dipesh Rupakheti, Bhupesh Adhikary, Puppala Siva Praveen, Maheswar Rupakheti, Shichang Kang, Khadak Singh Mahata, Manish Naja, Qianggong Zhang, Arnico Kumar Panday, and Mark G. Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11041–11063,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11041-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11041-2017, 2017

Short summary

For the first time, atmospheric composition was monitored during pre-monsoon season of 2013 at Lumbini (UNESCO world heritage site as birthplace of the Buddha). PM and O₃ frequently exceeded WHO guidelines. Pollution concentration, diurnal characteristics and influence of open burning on air quality in Lumbini were investigated. Potential source regions were also identified. Results show that air pollution at this site is of a great concern, requiring prompt attention for mitigation.

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Contributions of transported Prudhoe Bay oil field emissions to the aerosol population in Utqiaġvik, Alaska

Matthew J. Gunsch, Rachel M. Kirpes, Katheryn R. Kolesar, Tate E. Barrett, Swarup China, Rebecca J. Sheesley, Alexander Laskin, Alfred Wiedensohler, Thomas Tuch, and Kerri A. Pratt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 10879–10892,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10879-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10879-2017, 2017

Short summary

Arctic sea ice loss is leading to increasing petroleum extraction and shipping. It is necessary to identify emissions from these activities for improved Arctic air quality and climate assessment. Atmospheric particles were measured from August to September 2015 in Utqiaġvik, AK. For periods influenced by Prudhoe Bay, significant influence associated with combustion emissions was observed, compared to fresh sea spray influence during Arctic Ocean periods.

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Chemical characterization and source apportionment of submicron aerosols measured in Senegal during the 2015 SHADOW campaign

Laura-Hélèna Rivellini, Isabelle Chiapello, Emmanuel Tison, Marc Fourmentin, Anaïs Féron, Aboubacry Diallo, Thierno N'Diaye, Philippe Goloub, Francesco Canonaco, André Stephan Henry Prévôt, and Véronique Riffault

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 10291–10314,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10291-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10291-2017, 2017

Short summary

A 3-month field campaign was conducted in March–June 2015 in Senegal, as part of the SHADOW (SaHAran Dust Over West Africa) project. This article presents the time variability of the chemical composition of submicron particles. Organics (sulfates) were predominant for days under continental (marine) influence. Half the organic sources were identified as local, including one due to open waste-burning, and half were linked to regional air masses and enhanced photochemical processes.

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Impacts of traffic emissions on atmospheric particulate nitrate and organics at a downwind site on the periphery of Guangzhou, China

Yi Ming Qin, Hao Bo Tan, Yong Jie Li, Misha I. Schurman, Fei Li, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, and Chak K. Chan

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 10245–10258,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10245-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10245-2017, 2017

Short summary

Freshly emitted HOA contributed significantly to the high concentrations of organics at night as heavy-duty vehicles enter downtown Guangzhou, while SOA contributed to the daytime high concentration. The large input of NO_x, from automobile emissions, resulted in the significant formation of nitrate in both daytime and nighttime. Mitigating the PM pollution in urbanized areas such as Guangzhou can potentially benefit their peripheral cities, by reductions in traffic-related pollutants.

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Evaluating the impact of new observational constraints on P-S/IVOC emissions, multi-generation oxidation, and chamber wall losses on SOA modeling for Los Angeles, CA

Prettiny K. Ma, Yunliang Zhao, Allen L. Robinson, David R. Worton, Allen H. Goldstein, Amber M. Ortega, Jose L. Jimenez, Peter Zotter, André S. H. Prévôt, Sönke Szidat, and Patrick L. Hayes

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9237–9259,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9237-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9237-2017, 2017

Short summary

Airborne particulate matter (PM) negatively impacts air quality in cities throughout the world. An important fraction of PM is organic aerosol. We have evaluated and developed several new models for secondary organic aerosol (SOA), which is formed from the chemical processing of gaseous precursors. Using our model results, we have quantified important SOA sources and precursors and also identified possible model parameterizations that could be used for air quality predictions.

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Organic molecular tracers in the atmospheric aerosols from Lumbini, Nepal, in the northern Indo-Gangetic Plain: influence of biomass burning

Xin Wan, Shichang Kang, Quanlian Li, Dipesh Rupakheti, Qianggong Zhang, Junming Guo, Pengfei Chen, Lekhendra Tripathee, Maheswar Rupakheti, Arnico K. Panday, Wu Wang, Kimitaka Kawamura, Shaopeng Gao, Guangming Wu, and Zhiyuan Cong

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8867–8885,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8867-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8867-2017, 2017

Short summary

Biomass burning (BB) tracers in the aerosols in Lumbini, northern IGP, were studied for the first time. The levoglucosan was the predominant tracer and BB significantly contributed to the air quality in Lumbini. Mixed crop residues and hardwood were main burning materials. BB emissions constituted large fraction of OC, especially during the post-monsoon season. The sources of BB aerosols in Lumbini varies seasonally due to the influence of local emissions and long-range transport.

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Organic aerosol source apportionment by offline-AMS over a full year in Marseille

Carlo Bozzetti, Imad El Haddad, Dalia Salameh, Kaspar Rudolf Daellenbach, Paola Fermo, Raquel Gonzalez, María Cruz Minguillón, Yoshiteru Iinuma, Laurent Poulain, Miriam Elser, Emanuel Müller, Jay Gates Slowik, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Urs Baltensperger, Nicolas Marchand, and André Stephan Henry Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8247–8268,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8247-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8247-2017, 2017

Short summary

We present the first long-term organic aerosol source apportionment in an environment influenced by anthropogenic emissions including biomass burning and industrial processes and an active photochemistry. Online and offline aerosol mass spectrometry were used to characterize these emissions and their transformation. Measurements of organic markers provided insights into the origin of biomass smoke in this area, with different seasonal contributions from domestic heating and agricultural burning.

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Investigation of the mixing layer height derived from ceilometer measurements in the Kathmandu Valley and implications for local air quality

Andrea Mues, Maheswar Rupakheti, Christoph Münkel, Axel Lauer, Heiko Bozem, Peter Hoor, Tim Butler, and Mark G. Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8157–8176,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8157-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8157-2017, 2017

Short summary

Ceilometer measurements taken in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, were used to study the temporal and spatial evolution of the mixing layer height in the valley. This provides important information on the vertical structure of the atmosphere and can thus also help to understand the mixing of air pollutants (e.g. black carbon) in the valley. The seasonal and diurnal cycles of the mixing layer were found to be highly dependent on meteorology and mainly anticorrelated to black carbon concentrations.

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Source apportionment of NMVOCs in the Kathmandu Valley during the SusKat-ABC international field campaign using positive matrix factorization

Chinmoy Sarkar, Vinayak Sinha, Baerbel Sinha, Arnico K. Panday, Maheswar Rupakheti, and Mark G. Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8129–8156,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8129-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8129-2017, 2017

Short summary

This study provides quantitative information regarding the source contributions of the major non-methane volatile organic compound sources in the Kathmandu Valley. Combining high-resolution in situ NMVOC data and model analyses, we show that REAS v2.1 and EDGAR v4.2 emission inventories underestimate the contribution of traffic and do not take the contribution of brick kilns into account. Furthermore, REAS v2.1 overestimates the contribution of residential biofuel use and industries.

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Optical, physical and chemical properties of aerosols transported to a coastal site in the western Mediterranean: a focus on primary marine aerosols

Marine Claeys, Greg Roberts, Marc Mallet, Jovanna Arndt, Karine Sellegri, Jean Sciare, John Wenger, and Bastien Sauvage

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7891–7915,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7891-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7891-2017, 2017

Short summary

Over a period of 5 days (summer 2013), the mass concentration of primary marine aerosols was dominant compared to other aerosols measured at a ground-based measuring site on Corsica. The characteristics of primary marine aerosols such as their size distribution, their optical properties and their direct radiative effect were studied as a function of their ageing and region of emission. These characteristics were compared to two other periods dominated by different aerosol regimes.

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Secondary inorganic aerosols in Europe: sources and the significant influence of biogenic VOC emissions, especially on ammonium nitrate

Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Imad El-Haddad, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7757–7773,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7757-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7757-2017, 2017

Short summary

Sources of inorganic aerosols in Europe were investigated using a regional air quality model. Results of this study suggested that biogenic volatile organic coumpounds emitted from vegetation had a significant effect on inorganic aerosols, especially on ammonium nitrate concentrations. Sensitivity analyses showed that it is mainly terpene reactions with nitrate radical at night that lead to a decrease in ammonium nitrate.

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Constraining a hybrid volatility basis-set model for aging of wood-burning emissions using smog chamber experiments: a box-model study based on the VBS scheme of the CAMx model (v5.40)

Giancarlo Ciarelli, Imad El Haddad, Emily Bruns, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Ottmar Möhler, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 2303–2320,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2303-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2303-2017, 2017

Short summary

In Europe, residential wood-burning emissions constitute one of the main anthropogenic sources of air pollution. Novel wood-burning experiments performed in a state-of-the-art smog chamber provide valuable information on the chemical properties of wood-burning emissions and the transformation in the atmosphere. In this study, these new data were used in a box model to constrain a parameterization suitable for predicting the contribution of wood burning to air pollution with large-scale models.

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Modelling winter organic aerosol at the European scale with CAMx: evaluation and source apportionment with a VBS parameterization based on novel wood burning smog chamber experiments

Giancarlo Ciarelli, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Imad El Haddad, Emily A. Bruns, Monica Crippa, Laurent Poulain, Mikko Äijälä, Samara Carbone, Evelyn Freney, Colin O'Dowd, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7653–7669,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7653-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7653-2017, 2017

Short summary

Organic aerosol (OA) comprises the main fraction of fine particulate matter (PM₁). Using a new VBS parameterization, we performed model-based source apportionment studies to assess the importance of different emission sources to the total OA loads in Europe during winter periods. Our results indicate that residential wood burning emissions represent the major source of OA, followed by non-residential emission sources (i.e. traffic and industries).

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Sources and mixing state of summertime background aerosol in the north-western Mediterranean basin

Jovanna Arndt, Jean Sciare, Marc Mallet, Greg C. Roberts, Nicolas Marchand, Karine Sartelet, Karine Sellegri, François Dulac, Robert M. Healy, and John C. Wenger

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 6975–7001,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6975-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6975-2017, 2017

Short summary

The chemical composition of individual PM_2.5 particles was measured at a background site on Corsica in the Mediterranean to determine the contribution of different sources to background aerosol in the region. Most of the particles were from fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning, transported to the site from France, Italy and eastern Europe, and also accumulated other species en route. This work shows that largest impact on air quality in the Mediterranean is from anthropogenic emissions.

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Elemental composition of ambient aerosols measured with high temporal resolution using an online XRF spectrometer

Markus Furger, María Cruz Minguillón, Varun Yadav, Jay G. Slowik, Christoph Hüglin, Roman Fröhlich, Krag Petterson, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 2061–2076,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-2061-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-2061-2017, 2017

Short summary

An Xact 625 Ambient Metals Monitor was tested during a 3-week summer field campaign at a rural, traffic-influenced site in Switzerland. The objective was to characterize the operation of the instrument, evaluate the data quality by intercomparison with other independent measurements, and test its applicability for aerosol source quantification. The results demonstrate significant advantages compared to traditional elemental analysis methods, with some desirable improvements.

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Near-road sampling of PM_2. 5, BC, and fine-particle chemical components in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Kabindra M. Shakya, Maheswar Rupakheti, Anima Shahi, Rejina Maskey, Bidya Pradhan, Arnico Panday, Siva P. Puppala, Mark Lawrence, and Richard E. Peltier

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 6503–6516,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6503-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6503-2017, 2017

Short summary

Particulate matter levels were monitored at six major roadway intersections in the Kathmandu Valley during two seasons in 2014. The study documented distinct seasonal (dry season versus wet season) and diel variations in particulate matter levels. This study suggests traffic-related emissions, and soil–dust–construction materials were found to be a major source of particulate matter at these locations.

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Spatial, temporal and source contribution assessments of black carbon over the northern interior of South Africa

Kgaugelo Euphinia Chiloane, Johan Paul Beukes, Pieter Gideon van Zyl, Petra Maritz, Ville Vakkari, Miroslav Josipovic, Andrew Derick Venter, Kerneels Jaars, Petri Tiitta, Markku Kulmala, Alfred Wiedensohler, Catherine Liousse, Gabisile Vuyisile Mkhatshwa, Avishkar Ramandh, and Lauri Laakso

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 6177–6196,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6177-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6177-2017, 2017

Short summary

This paper presents atmospheric black carbon (BC) data collected in South Africa (SA). In general, BC level were higher than in the developed world. At one site, five sources were identified, with household combustion as well as savannah and grassland fires the most significant sources during winter and spring, while coal-fired power stations, pyrometallurgical smelters and traffic contributed year round.

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Assessing the influence of NO_x concentrations and relative humidity on secondary organic aerosol yields fromα-pinene photo-oxidation through smog chamber experiments and modelling calculations

Lisa Stirnweis, Claudia Marcolli, Josef Dommen, Peter Barmet, Carla Frege, Stephen M. Platt, Emily A. Bruns, Manuel Krapf, Jay G. Slowik, Robert Wolf, Andre S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, and Imad El-Haddad

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 5035–5061,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5035-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5035-2017, 2017

Mixing State of Refractory Black Carbon of the North China Plain Regional Aerosol Combining a Single Particle Soot Photometer and a Volatility Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer

Yuxuan Zhang, Hang Su, Simonas Kecorius, Zhibin Wang, Min Hu, Tong Zhu, Kebin He, Alfred Wiedensohler, Qiang Zhang, and Yafang Cheng

Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2017-222,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2017-222, 2017

Revised manuscript not accepted

Short summary

The light absorption of black carbon (BC) strongly depends on their mixing state. By now, the BC mixing state in the atmosphere is still unclear. In this work, we have investigated the comprehensive characterization of BC mixing state at a polluted regional background site of the North China Plain (NCP) based on in site measurements. we found that BC aerosols of the NCP were fully aged, suggesting a strong optical and climate effect of BC on the regional scale in northern China.

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Wintertime aerosol chemistry and haze evolution in an extremely polluted city of the North China Plain: significant contribution from coal and biomass combustion

Haiyan Li, Qi Zhang, Qiang Zhang, Chunrong Chen, Litao Wang, Zhe Wei, Shan Zhou, Caroline Parworth, Bo Zheng, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Ping Chen, Hongliang Zhang, Timothy J. Wallington, and Kebin He

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4751–4768,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4751-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4751-2017, 2017

Short summary

The sources and aerosol evolution processes of severe pollution episodes were investigated in Handan during wintertime using real-time measurements. An in-depth analysis of the data uncovered that primary emissions from coal combustion and biomass burning together with secondary formation of sulfate (mainly from SO₂ emitted by coal combustion) are important driving factors for haze evolution. Our findings provide useful insights into air pollution control in heavily polluted regions.

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Evaluation of the absorption Ångström exponents for traffic and wood burning in the Aethalometer-based source apportionment using radiocarbon measurements of ambient aerosol

Peter Zotter, Hanna Herich, Martin Gysel, Imad El-Haddad, Yanlin Zhang, Griša Močnik, Christoph Hüglin, Urs Baltensperger, Sönke Szidat, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4229–4249,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4229-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4229-2017, 2017

Short summary

Most studies use a single Ångström exponent for wood burning (αWB) and traffic (αTR) emissions in the Aethalometer model, used for source apportionment of black carbon, derived from previous work. However, accurate determination of the α values is currently lacking. Comparing radiocarbon measurements (¹⁴C) with the Aehtalometer model, good agreement was found, indicating that the Aethalometer model reproduces reasonably well the¹⁴C results using our best estimate of a single αWB and αTR.

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The filter-loading effect by ambient aerosols in filter absorption photometers depends on the coating of the sampled particles

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 1043–1059,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1043-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1043-2017, 2017

Short summary

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Resolving anthropogenic aerosol pollution types – deconvolution and exploratory classification of pollution events

Mikko Äijälä, Liine Heikkinen, Roman Fröhlich, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Heikki Junninen, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, Douglas Worsnop, and Mikael Ehn

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 3165–3197,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3165-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3165-2017, 2017

Short summary

Mass spectrometric measurements commonly yield data on hundreds of variables over thousands of points in time. Refining and synthesising this “raw” data into chemical information necessitates the use of advanced, statistics-based data analysis techniques. Here we present an example of combining data dimensionality reduction (factorisation) with exploratory classification (clustering) and show that the results complement and broaden our current perspectives on aerosol chemical classification.

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Contributions of nitrated aromatic compounds to the light absorption of water-soluble and particulate brown carbon in different atmospheric environments in Germany and China

Monique Teich, Dominik van Pinxteren, Michael Wang, Simonas Kecorius, Zhibin Wang, Thomas Müller, Griša Močnik, and Hartmut Herrmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 1653–1672,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1653-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1653-2017, 2017

Short summary

This study provides a large data set on concentrations of individual brown carbon constituents, i.e., nitrated aromatic compounds, in diverse atmospheric environments and their relative contribution to water-soluble and particulate light absorption. It extends the existing knowledge on the abundance of brown carbon and its molecular composition and provides scientific motivation for further studies on ambient brown carbon constituents.

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CCN production by new particle formation in the free troposphere

Clémence Rose, Karine Sellegri, Isabel Moreno, Fernando Velarde, Michel Ramonet, Kay Weinhold, Radovan Krejci, Marcos Andrade, Alfred Wiedensohler, Patrick Ginot, and Paolo Laj

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 1529–1541,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1529-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1529-2017, 2017

Short summary

Using an indirect method based on particle size distribution measurements, we show that new particle formation (NPF) is responsible for a large contribution to the cloud condensation nuclei concentration at the highest observatory in the world (Bolivia, 5240 m a.s.l.) as expected from some global model predictions. We also provide unique results related to the influence of the boundary layer on the NPF process, showing direct evidence for the important NPF frequency in the free troposphere.

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Characterization of gas-phase organics using proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry: fresh and aged residential wood combustion emissions

Emily A. Bruns, Jay G. Slowik, Imad El Haddad, Dogushan Kilic, Felix Klein, Josef Dommen, Brice Temime-Roussel, Nicolas Marchand, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 705–720,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-705-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-705-2017, 2017

Short summary

We characterize primary and aged gaseous emissions from residential wood combustion using proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry. This approach allows for improved characterization, particularly of oxygenated gases, which are a considerable fraction of the total gaseous mass emitted during residential wood combustion. This study is the first thorough characterization of organic gases from this source and provides a benchmark for future studies.

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Argon offline-AMS source apportionment of organic aerosol over yearly cycles for an urban, rural, and marine site in northern Europe

Carlo Bozzetti, Yuliya Sosedova, Mao Xiao, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Vidmantas Ulevicius, Vadimas Dudoitis, Genrik Mordas, Steigvilė Byčenkienė, Kristina Plauškaitė, Athanasia Vlachou, Benjamin Golly, Benjamin Chazeau, Jean-Luc Besombes, Urs Baltensperger, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Jay G. Slowik, Imad El Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 117–141,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-117-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-117-2017, 2017

Short summary

In this study we present the offline-AMS source apportionment of the submicron organic aerosol (OA) sources conducted over 1 year at three locations in the south east Baltic region, which has so far received small attention. Offline-AMS enabled broadening the AMS spatial and temporal coverage, and provided a full characterization of the OA sources. Source apportionment results revealed that biomass burning and biogenic secondary emissions were the major OA sources during winter and summer.

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Organic aerosol source apportionment in London 2013 with ME-2: exploring the solution space with annual and seasonal analysis

Ernesto Reyes-Villegas, David C. Green, Max Priestman, Francesco Canonaco, Hugh Coe, André S. H. Prévôt, and James D. Allan

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 15545–15559,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15545-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15545-2016, 2016

Short summary

For the first time in the UK, an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor was used to measure aerosol concentrations in London in March–December 2013, with further organic aerosol (OA) source apportionment using the ME-2 factorization tool. Five OA sources were identified: biomass burning OA, hydrocarbon-like OA, cooking OA, semivolatile oxygenated OA and low-volatility oxygenated OA. This information can be used to take future action on the respective legislation in order to improve the air quality.

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Wintertime organic and inorganic aerosols in Lanzhou, China: sources, processes, and comparison with the results during summer

Jianzhong Xu, Jinsen Shi, Qi Zhang, Xinlei Ge, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Matthias Vonwiller, Sönke Szidat, Jinming Ge, Jianmin Ma, Yanqing An, Shichang Kang, and Dahe Qin

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 14937–14957,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14937-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14937-2016, 2016

Short summary

This study deployed an AMS field study in Lanzhou, a city in northwestern China, evaluating the chemical composition, sources, and processes of urban aerosols during wintertime. In comparison with the results during summer in Lanzhou, the air pollution during winter was more severe and the sources were more complex. In addition, this paper estimates the contributions of fossil and non-fossil sources of organic carbon to primary and secondary organic carbon using the carbon isotopic method.

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Significant concentrations of nitryl chloride sustained in the morning: investigations of the causes and impacts on ozone production in a polluted region of northern China

Yee Jun Tham, Zhe Wang, Qinyi Li, Hui Yun, Weihao Wang, Xinfeng Wang, Likun Xue, Keding Lu, Nan Ma, Birger Bohn, Xin Li, Simonas Kecorius, Johannes Größ, Min Shao, Alfred Wiedensohler, Yuanhang Zhang, and Tao Wang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 14959–14977,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14959-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14959-2016, 2016

Short summary

This work addresses the unclear global significance of chlorine activation processes in the troposphere. The first high-quality measurement data set of ClNO₂ in northern China revealed strong ClNO₂ production in the residual layers, and demonstrated its significant effects on radical budget and ozone production. Our findings imply the widespread effects of ClNO₂ over the polluted regions of northern China, which may increase photochemical and haze pollution.

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Transformation of logwood combustion emissions in a smog chamber: formation of secondary organic aerosol and changes in the primary organic aerosol upon daytime and nighttime aging

Petri Tiitta, Ari Leskinen, Liqing Hao, Pasi Yli-Pirilä, Miika Kortelainen, Julija Grigonyte, Jarkko Tissari, Heikki Lamberg, Anni Hartikainen, Kari Kuuspalo, Aki-Matti Kortelainen, Annele Virtanen, Kari E. J. Lehtinen, Mika Komppula, Simone Pieber, André S. H. Prévôt, Timothy B. Onasch, Douglas R. Worsnop, Hendryk Czech, Ralf Zimmermann, Jorma Jokiniemi, and Olli Sippula

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 13251–13269,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13251-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13251-2016, 2016

Short summary

Real-time measurements of OA aging and SOA formation from logwood combustion were conducted under dark and UV oxidation. Substantial SOA formation was observed in all experiments, leading to twice the initial OA mass emphasizing the importance of the burning conditions for the aging processes. The results prove that emissions are subject to intensive chemical processing in the atmosphere; e.g. the most of the POA was found to become oxidized after the ozone addition, forming aged POA.

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A broad supersaturation scanning (BS2) approach for rapid measurement of aerosol particle hygroscopicity and cloud condensation nuclei activity

Hang Su, Yafang Cheng, Nan Ma, Zhibin Wang, Xiaoxiang Wang, Mira L. Pöhlker, Björn Nillius, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Ulrich Pöschl

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 5183–5192,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5183-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5183-2016, 2016

Short summary

In cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) measurements, the supersaturation scan is often time-consuming and limits the temporal resolution of CCN measurements. Here we present a new concept, termed the broad supersaturation scanning (BS2) method, in which a range of supersaturation is simultaneously scanned, resulting in fast measurements of CCN activity.

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Variations in the chemical composition of the submicron aerosol and in the sources of the organic fraction at a regional background site of the Po Valley (Italy)

Michael Bressi, Fabrizia Cavalli, Claudio A. Belis, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Roman Fröhlich, Sebastiao Martins dos Santos, Ettore Petralia, André S. H. Prévôt, Massimo Berico, Antonella Malaguti, and Francesco Canonaco

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 12875–12896,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12875-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12875-2016, 2016

Short summary

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) levels and resulting impacts on human health are in the Po Valley (Italy) among the highest in Europe. This study discusses submicron PM chemical composition, sources and atmospheric processes in this region, using state-of-the-art measurement techniques and receptor models. Based on these results, effective PM abatement strategies are suggested in the upper Po Valley.

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Presentation of the EURODELTA III intercomparison exercise – evaluation of the chemistry transport models' performance on criteria pollutants and joint analysis with meteorology

Bertrand Bessagnet, Guido Pirovano, Mihaela Mircea, Cornelius Cuvelier, Armin Aulinger, Giuseppe Calori, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Astrid Manders, Rainer Stern, Svetlana Tsyro, Marta García Vivanco, Philippe Thunis, Maria-Teresa Pay, Augustin Colette, Florian Couvidat, Frédérik Meleux, Laurence Rouïl, Anthony Ung, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, José María Baldasano, Johannes Bieser, Gino Briganti, Andrea Cappelletti, Massimo D'Isidoro, Sandro Finardi, Richard Kranenburg, Camillo Silibello, Claudio Carnevale, Wenche Aas, Jean-Charles Dupont, Hilde Fagerli, Lucia Gonzalez, Laurent Menut, André S. H. Prévôt, Pete Roberts, and Les White

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 12667–12701,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12667-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12667-2016, 2016

Short summary

The EURODELTA III exercise allows a very comprehensive intercomparison and evaluation of air quality models' performance. On average, the models provide a rather good picture of the particulate matter (PM) concentrations over Europe even if the highest concentrations are underestimated. The meteorology is responsible for model discrepancies, while the lack of emissions, particularly in winter, is mentioned as the main reason for the underestimations of PM.

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Source characterization of highly oxidized multifunctional compounds in a boreal forest environment using positive matrix factorization

Chao Yan, Wei Nie, Mikko Äijälä, Matti P. Rissanen, Manjula R. Canagaratna, Paola Massoli, Heikki Junninen, Tuija Jokinen, Nina Sarnela, Silja A. K. Häme, Siegfried Schobesberger, Francesco Canonaco, Lei Yao, André S. H. Prévôt, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, Mikko Sipilä, Douglas R. Worsnop, and Mikael Ehn

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 12715–12731,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12715-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12715-2016, 2016

Short summary

Highly oxidized multifunctional compounds (HOMs) are known to have a significant contribution to secondary aerosol formation, yet their dominating formation pathways remain unclear in the atmosphere. We apply positive matrix factorization (PMF) on HOM data, and successfully retrieve factors representing different formation pathways. The results improve our understanding of HOM formation, and provide new perspectives on using PMF to study the variation of short-lived specie.

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Vertical profiles of aerosol and black carbon in the Arctic: a seasonal phenomenology along 2 years (2011–2012) of field campaigns

Luca Ferrero, David Cappelletti, Maurizio Busetto, Mauro Mazzola, Angelo Lupi, Christian Lanconelli, Silvia Becagli, Rita Traversi, Laura Caiazzo, Fabio Giardi, Beatrice Moroni, Stefano Crocchianti, Martin Fierz, Griša Močnik, Giorgia Sangiorgi, Maria G. Perrone, Marion Maturilli, Vito Vitale, Roberto Udisti, and Ezio Bolzacchini

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 12601–12629,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12601-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12601-2016, 2016

Short summary

This study reports results from systematic vertical aerosol profiles measured in the Arctic using a tethered balloon platform. The collected data allowed for finding common rules of aerosol behavior along height and seasons. Transport events, secondary aerosol formation and ship impact are examples of the issues investigated along height. The importance of these issues is related to their climatic implications in reference to the aerosol direct and indirect effects in the Arctic atmosphere.

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Sea salt emission, transport and influence on size-segregated nitrate simulation: a case study in northwestern Europe by WRF-Chem

Ying Chen, Yafang Cheng, Nan Ma, Ralf Wolke, Stephan Nordmann, Stephanie Schüttauf, Liang Ran, Birgit Wehner, Wolfram Birmili, Hugo A. C. Denier van der Gon, Qing Mu, Stefan Barthel, Gerald Spindler, Bastian Stieger, Konrad Müller, Guang-Jie Zheng, Ulrich Pöschl, Hang Su, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 12081–12097,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12081-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12081-2016, 2016

Short summary

Sea salt aerosol (SSA) is important for primary and secondary aerosols on a global scale. During 10–20 September 2013, the SSA mass concentration was overestimated by a factor of 8–20 over central Europe by WRF-Chem model, stem from the uncertainty of its emission scheme. This could facilitate the coarse-mode nitrate formation (~ 140 % but inhibit the fine-mode nitrate formation (~−20 %). A special long-range transport mechanism could broaden this influence of SSA to a larger downwind region.

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Seasonal variability and source apportionment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the Paris megacity (France)

Alexia Baudic, Valérie Gros, Stéphane Sauvage, Nadine Locoge, Olivier Sanchez, Roland Sarda-Estève, Cerise Kalogridis, Jean-Eudes Petit, Nicolas Bonnaire, Dominique Baisnée, Olivier Favez, Alexandre Albinet, Jean Sciare, and Bernard Bonsang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 11961–11989,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11961-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11961-2016, 2016

Short summary

This article presents ambient air VOC measurements performed in Paris during the MEGAPOLI and FRANCIPOL campaigns (2010). For the first time, we report (O)VOC concentration levels, their temporal variations and their main emission sources. The originality of this study stands in using near-field observations to help strengthen the identification of apportioned sources derived from PMF. An important finding of this work is the high contribution of the wood burning source (50 %) in winter.

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Volatility and lifetime against OH heterogeneous reaction of ambient isoprene-epoxydiols-derived secondary organic aerosol (IEPOX-SOA)

Weiwei Hu, Brett B. Palm, Douglas A. Day, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Jordan E. Krechmer, Zhe Peng, Suzane S. de Sá, Scot T. Martin, M. Lizabeth Alexander, Karsten Baumann, Lina Hacker, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Abigail R. Koss, Joost A. de Gouw, Allen H. Goldstein, Roger Seco, Steven J. Sjostedt, Jeong-Hoo Park, Alex B. Guenther, Saewung Kim, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, William H. Brune, and Jose L. Jimenez

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 11563–11580,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11563-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11563-2016, 2016

Short summary

IEPOX-SOA is biogenically derived secondary organic aerosol under anthropogenic influence, which has been shown to comprise a substantial fraction of OA globally. We investigated the lifetime of ambient IEPOX-SOA in the SE US and Amazonia, with an oxidation flow reactor and thermodenuder coupled with MS-based instrumentation. The low volatility and long lifetime of IEPOX-SOA against OH radicals' oxidation (> 2 weeks) was observed, which can help to constrain OA impact on air quality and climate.

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Saharan dust contribution to the Caribbean summertime boundary layer – a lidar study during SALTRACE

Silke Groß, Josef Gasteiger, Volker Freudenthaler, Thomas Müller, Daniel Sauer, Carlos Toledano, and Albert Ansmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 11535–11546,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11535-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11535-2016, 2016

Short summary

Dual-wavelength depolarization sensitive Raman lidar measurements were used to characterize the optical properties of the dust loaded convective boundary layer over the Caribbean. Furthermore we derived the dust volume fraction and dust mass concentration within the convective boundary layer.

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Seasonal variation of atmospheric particle number concentrations, new particle formation and atmospheric oxidation capacity at the high Arctic site Villum Research Station, Station Nord

Quynh T. Nguyen, Marianne Glasius, Lise L. Sørensen, Bjarne Jensen, Henrik Skov, Wolfram Birmili, Alfred Wiedensohler, Adam Kristensson, Jacob K. Nøjgaard, and Andreas Massling

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 11319–11336,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11319-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11319-2016, 2016

Short summary

Aerosol particles strongly influence climate change as they can absorb or reflect solar radiation. This work investigates aerosol particles in the remote northern Arctic. "Newly born" particles are small, then they "age" and grow in size due to different mechanisms. The results showed that during the polar night and especially Arctic spring, particles were likely transported from longer distances and were aged. During summer, "younger" particles are observed, which might be linked to ozone.

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Long-term observations of tropospheric particle number size distributions and equivalent black carbon mass concentrations in the German Ultrafine Aerosol Network (GUAN)

Wolfram Birmili, Kay Weinhold, Fabian Rasch, André Sonntag, Jia Sun, Maik Merkel, Alfred Wiedensohler, Susanne Bastian, Alexander Schladitz, Gunter Löschau, Josef Cyrys, Mike Pitz, Jianwei Gu, Thomas Kusch, Harald Flentje, Ulrich Quass, Heinz Kaminski, Thomas A. J. Kuhlbusch, Frank Meinhardt, Andreas Schwerin, Olaf Bath, Ludwig Ries, Holger Gerwig, Klaus Wirtz, and Markus Fiebig

Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 355–382,https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-355-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-355-2016, 2016

Short summary

The German Ultraﬁne Aerosol Network (GUAN) provides new continuous data on tropospheric aerosol particles including number size distributions and black carbon. The data are equally relevant for atmospheric studies related to both climate-related and health-related issues. The published data underwent uniform measures of quality assurance and control. The data are available free of charge at the World Data Center for Aerosols EBAS data repository.

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Assessing the ammonium nitrate formation regime in the Paris megacity and its representation in the CHIMERE model

Hervé Petetin, Jean Sciare, Michael Bressi, Valérie Gros, Amandine Rosso, Olivier Sanchez, Roland Sarda-Estève, Jean-Eudes Petit, and Matthias Beekmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 10419–10440,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-10419-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-10419-2016, 2016

Short summary

This paper presents the first combined measurements of both ammonium nitrate aerosols and their gaseous precursors (HNO₃, NH₃) in the Paris megacity, obtained during the FRANCIPOL and PARTICULES campaigns. This data set is used to investigate the nitrate formation regime within the city, which is particularly important considering the high contribution of nitrates in the fine aerosol pollution of Paris. In addition, it is also used to evaluate the CHIMERE chemistry-transport model.

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Evaluation of European air quality modelled by CAMx including the volatility basis set scheme

Giancarlo Ciarelli, Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Monica Crippa, Jose-Luis Jimenez, Eriko Nemitz, Karine Sellegri, Mikko Äijälä, Samara Carbone, Claudia Mohr, Colin O'Dowd, Laurent Poulain, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 10313–10332,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-10313-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-10313-2016, 2016

Short summary

Recent studies based on aerosol mass spectrometer measurements revealed that the organic fraction dominates the non-refractory PM₁ composition. However its representation in chemical transport models is still very challenging due to uncertainties in emission sources and formation pathways. In this study, a novel organic aerosol scheme was tested in the regional air quality model CAMx and results were compared with ambient measurements at 11 different sites in Europe.

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LOAC: a small aerosol optical counter/sizer for ground-based and balloon measurements of the size distribution and nature of atmospheric particles – Part 2: First results from balloon and unmanned aerial vehicle flights

Jean-Baptiste Renard, François Dulac, Gwenaël Berthet, Thibaut Lurton, Damien Vignelles, Fabrice Jégou, Thierry Tonnelier, Matthieu Jeannot, Benoit Couté, Rony Akiki, Nicolas Verdier, Marc Mallet, François Gensdarmes, Patrick Charpentier, Samuel Mesmin, Vincent Duverger, Jean-Charles Dupont, Thierry Elias, Vincent Crenn, Jean Sciare, Paul Zieger, Matthew Salter, Tjarda Roberts, Jérôme Giacomoni, Matthieu Gobbi, Eric Hamonou, Haraldur Olafsson, Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserova, Claude Camy-Peyret, Christophe Mazel, Thierry Décamps, Martin Piringer, Jérémy Surcin, and Daniel Daugeron

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 3673–3686,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3673-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3673-2016, 2016

Short summary

We illustrate the first Light Optical Aerosol Counter (LOAC) airborne results obtained from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a variety of scientific balloons: tethered balloons deployed in urban environments, pressurized balloons drifting in the lower troposphere over the western Mediterranean during the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx), and meteorological sounding balloons launched in the western Mediterranean region and in the south-west of France.

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Aerosol source apportionment from 1-year measurements at the CESAR tower in Cabauw, the Netherlands

Patrick Schlag, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Marcus Johannes Blom, Francesco Canonaco, Jeroen Sebastiaan Henzing, Marcel Moerman, André Stephan Henry Prévôt, and Rupert Holzinger

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 8831–8847,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8831-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8831-2016, 2016

Short summary

This work provides chemical composition data of atmospheric aerosols acquired during 1 year in the rural site of Cabauw, the Netherlands. In some periods, we found unexpected high particle mass concentrations exceeding the WHO limits. Using these composition data, we found that reducing ammonia emissions in this region would largely reduce the main aerosol component ammonium nitrate, whereas the local mitigation of the organics turned out to be difficult due to the lack of a designated source.

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Variation of CCN activity during new particle formation events in the North China Plain

Nan Ma, Chunsheng Zhao, Jiangchuan Tao, Zhijun Wu, Simonas Kecorius, Zhibin Wang, Johannes Größ, Hongjian Liu, Yuxuan Bian, Ye Kuang, Monique Teich, Gerald Spindler, Konrad Müller, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Min Hu, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 8593–8607,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8593-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8593-2016, 2016

Short summary

New particle formation (NPF) is one of main sources of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the atmosphere. Based on in situ measurements, we found that CCN activity of newly formed particles largely differs in different NPF events. It is therefore difficult to find a simple parameterization of CCN activity for NPF events. Using a fixed size-resolved activation ratio curve or critical diameter is very likely to result in large biases up to 50 % in the calculated N_CCN during NPF events.

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Evidence for ambient dark aqueous SOA formation in the Po Valley, Italy

Amy P. Sullivan, Natasha Hodas, Barbara J. Turpin, Kate Skog, Frank N. Keutsch, Stefania Gilardoni, Marco Paglione, Matteo Rinaldi, Stefano Decesari, Maria Cristina Facchini, Laurent Poulain, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, Eiko Nemitz, Marsailidh M. Twigg, and Jeffrey L. Collett Jr.

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 8095–8108,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8095-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8095-2016, 2016

Short summary

This paper presents the results from our measurements and approach for the investigation of aqueous secondary organic aerosol (aqSOA) formation in the ambient atmosphere. When local aqSOA formation was observed, a correlation of water-soluble organic carbon with organic aerosol, aerosol liquid water, relative humidity, and aerosol nitrate was found. Key factors of local aqSOA production include air mass stagnation, formation of local nitrate overnight, and significant amounts of ammonia.

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Vertical profiling of aerosol hygroscopic properties in the planetary boundary layer during the PEGASOS campaigns

Bernadette Rosati, Martin Gysel, Florian Rubach, Thomas F. Mentel, Brigitta Goger, Laurent Poulain, Patrick Schlag, Pasi Miettinen, Aki Pajunoja, Annele Virtanen, Henk Klein Baltink, J. S. Bas Henzing, Johannes Größ, Gian Paolo Gobbi, Alfred Wiedensohler, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Stefano Decesari, Maria Cristina Facchini, Ernest Weingartner, and Urs Baltensperger

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7295–7315,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7295-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7295-2016, 2016

Short summary

This study presents PEGASOS project data from field campaigns in the Po Valley, Italy and the Netherlands. Vertical profiles of aerosol hygroscopicity and chemical composition were investigated with airborne measurements on board a Zeppelin NT airship. A special focus was on the evolution of different mixing layers within the PBL as a function of daytime. A closure study showed that variations in aerosol hygroscopicity can well be explained by the variations in chemical composition.

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Urban increments of gaseous and aerosol pollutants and their sources using mobile aerosol mass spectrometry measurements

Miriam Elser, Carlo Bozzetti, Imad El-Haddad, Marek Maasikmets, Erik Teinemaa, Rene Richter, Robert Wolf, Jay G. Slowik, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7117–7134,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7117-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7117-2016, 2016

Short summary

This work presents the first detailed in-situ measurements of major air pollutants (including NR-PM_2.5, eBC, and trace gases) in the two biggest cities in Estonia. The sources of organic aerosols were investigated by means of positive matrix factorization. Highly time-resolved mobile measurements allowed for the identification of source areas and the determination of regional background concentrations as well as urban increments of the individual components.

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An optical particle size spectrometer for aircraft-borne measurements in IAGOS-CARIBIC

Markus Hermann, Andreas Weigelt, Denise Assmann, Sascha Pfeifer, Thomas Müller, Thomas Conrath, Jens Voigtländer, Jost Heintzenberg, Alfred Wiedensohler, Bengt G. Martinsson, Terry Deshler, Carl A. M. Brenninkmeijer, and Andreas Zahn

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 2179–2194,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2179-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2179-2016, 2016

Short summary

Aerosol particles are an important component of the Earth's atmosphere. Here we describe the composition and characterization of a new optical particle size spectrometer (OPSS) for aircraft-borne measurements of the aerosol particle size distribution (how many particles there are with a certain size) in the 140–1050 nm size range. The OPSS was characterized throughout concerning its measurement capabilities (response, pressure dependence, coincidence) and validated versus balloon measurement.

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Fossil and non-fossil source contributions to atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols during extreme spring grassland fires in Eastern Europe

Vidmantas Ulevicius, Steigvilė Byčenkienė, Carlo Bozzetti, Athanasia Vlachou, Kristina Plauškaitė, Genrik Mordas, Vadimas Dudoitis, Gülcin Abbaszade, Vidmantas Remeikis, Andrius Garbaras, Agne Masalaite, Jan Blees, Roman Fröhlich, Kaspar R. Dällenbach, Francesco Canonaco, Jay G. Slowik, Josef Dommen, Ralf Zimmermann, Jürgen Schnelle-Kreis, Gary A. Salazar, Konstantinos Agrios, Sönke Szidat, Imad El Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 5513–5529,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5513-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5513-2016, 2016

Short summary

In early spring the Baltic region is frequently affected by high pollution events due to biomass burning in that area. Here we present a comprehensive study to investigate the impact of biomass/grass burning (BB) on the evolution and composition of aerosol in Preila, Lithuania, during springtime open fires.

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Chemical and physical characterization of traffic particles in four different highway environments in the Helsinki metropolitan area

Joonas Enroth, Sanna Saarikoski, Jarkko Niemi, Anu Kousa, Irena Ježek, Griša Močnik, Samara Carbone, Heino Kuuluvainen, Topi Rönkkö, Risto Hillamo, and Liisa Pirjola

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 5497–5512,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5497-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5497-2016, 2016

Short summary

This paper presents a comprehensive summary of roadside measurements using a mobile laboratory, equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation. Pollution gradients were observed for particle number, black carbon, organics, some metals, and gases at four different highway environments. Flow dynamics appeared to be an important factor, however, at the most open site, condensation of semi-volatile organics was observed. The fleet average NO₂ emission factor increased over the last decade.

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Measuring the morphology and density of internally mixed black carbon with SP2 and VTDMA: new insight into the absorption enhancement of black carbon in the atmosphere

Yuxuan Zhang, Qiang Zhang, Yafang Cheng, Hang Su, Simonas Kecorius, Zhibin Wang, Zhijun Wu, Min Hu, Tong Zhu, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Kebin He

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 1833–1843,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1833-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1833-2016, 2016

Short summary

We develop a novel method in this work for in situ measurements of the morphology and effective density of ambient In-BC cores using a volatility tandem differential mobility analyzer and a single-particle soot photometer. We find that In-BC cores hardly transform the morphology of BC into a void-free sphere. Taking the morphology and density of ambient In-BC cores into account, our work provides a new insight into the enhancement of light absorption for In-BC particles in the atmosphere.

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LOAC: a small aerosol optical counter/sizer for ground-based and balloon measurements of the size distribution and nature of atmospheric particles – Part 1: Principle of measurements and instrument evaluation

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 1721–1742,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1721-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1721-2016, 2016

Short summary

LOAC is a light aerosols counter for performing measurements at the surface and under all kinds of atmospheric balloons. LOAC performs observations at two scattering angles. The first one at 12° is insensitive to the refractive index of the particles; the second one at 60° is strongly sensitive to the refractive index. By combining the measurements, it is possible to retrieve the size distribution between 0.2 and 100 micrometeres and to estimate the nature of the dominant particles.

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Studying the vertical aerosol extinction coefficient by comparing in situ airborne data and elastic backscatter lidar

Bernadette Rosati, Erik Herrmann, Silvia Bucci, Federico Fierli, Francesco Cairo, Martin Gysel, Ralf Tillmann, Johannes Größ, Gian Paolo Gobbi, Luca Di Liberto, Guido Di Donfrancesco, Alfred Wiedensohler, Ernest Weingartner, Annele Virtanen, Thomas F. Mentel, and Urs Baltensperger

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4539–4554,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4539-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4539-2016, 2016

Short summary

We present vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties, which were explored within the planetary boundary layer in a case study in 2012 in the Po Valley region. A comparison of in situ measurements recorded aboard a Zeppelin NT and ground-based remote-sensing data was performed yielding good agreement. Additionally, the role of ambient relative humidity for the aerosol particles' optical properties was investigated.

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Observation of viscosity transition inα-pinene secondary organic aerosol

Emma Järvinen, Karoliina Ignatius, Leonid Nichman, Thomas B. Kristensen, Claudia Fuchs, Christopher R. Hoyle, Niko Höppel, Joel C. Corbin, Jill Craven, Jonathan Duplissy, Sebastian Ehrhart, Imad El Haddad, Carla Frege, Hamish Gordon, Tuija Jokinen, Peter Kallinger, Jasper Kirkby, Alexei Kiselev, Karl-Heinz Naumann, Tuukka Petäjä, Tamara Pinterich, Andre S. H. Prevot, Harald Saathoff, Thea Schiebel, Kamalika Sengupta, Mario Simon, Jay G. Slowik, Jasmin Tröstl, Annele Virtanen, Paul Vochezer, Steffen Vogt, Andrea C. Wagner, Robert Wagner, Christina Williamson, Paul M. Winkler, Chao Yan, Urs Baltensperger, Neil M. Donahue, Rick C. Flagan, Martin Gallagher, Armin Hansel, Markku Kulmala, Frank Stratmann, Douglas R. Worsnop, Ottmar Möhler, Thomas Leisner, and Martin Schnaiter

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4423–4438,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4423-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4423-2016, 2016

Intercomparison of 15 aerodynamic particle size spectrometers (APS 3321): uncertainties in particle sizing and number size distribution

Sascha Pfeifer, Thomas Müller, Kay Weinhold, Nadezda Zikova, Sebastiao Martins dos Santos, Angela Marinoni, Oliver F. Bischof, Carsten Kykal, Ludwig Ries, Frank Meinhardt, Pasi Aalto, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 1545–1551,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1545-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1545-2016, 2016

Short summary

15 aerodynamic particle size spectrometers (APS model 3321, TSI Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA) were compared with a focus on flow rates accuracy, particle sizing, and unit-to-unit variability of the particle number size distribution.Flow rate deviations were relatively small, while the sizing accuracy was found to be within 10 % compared to polystyrene latex reference particles. The unit-to-unit variability in terms of the particle number size distribution during this study was between 10 % and 60 %.

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Overview of VOC emissions and chemistry from PTR-TOF-MS measurements during the SusKat-ABC campaign: high acetaldehyde, isoprene and isocyanic acid in wintertime air of the Kathmandu Valley

Chinmoy Sarkar, Vinayak Sinha, Vinod Kumar, Maheswar Rupakheti, Arnico Panday, Khadak S. Mahata, Dipesh Rupakheti, Bhogendra Kathayat, and Mark G. Lawrence

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 3979–4003,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3979-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3979-2016, 2016

Short summary

First deployment of PTR-TOF-MS in South Asia. High acetaldehyde and biogenic isoprene concentrations detected even in winter in the Kathmandu Valley. Isocyanic acid, formamide, acetamide, naphthalene and nitromethane were detected for the first time in South Asian air. Oxygenated VOCs and isoprene-dominated OH reactivity and ozone production potentials (> 68 % OPP). Regulation of emissions from biomass co-fired brick kilns' by cleaner technology would improve air quality of the valley.

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Simulating the formation of carbonaceous aerosol in a European Megacity (Paris) during the MEGAPOLI summer and winter campaigns

Christos Fountoukis, Athanasios G. Megaritis, Ksakousti Skyllakou, Panagiotis E. Charalampidis, Hugo A. C. Denier van der Gon, Monica Crippa, André S. H. Prévôt, Friederike Fachinger, Alfred Wiedensohler, Christodoulos Pilinis, and Spyros N. Pandis

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 3727–3741,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3727-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3727-2016, 2016

Short summary

We use PMCAMx with high grid resolution over Paris to simulate carbonaceous aerosol during the summer and winter MEGAPOLI campaigns. PMCAMx reproduces BC observations well. Addition of cooking organic aerosol emissions of 80 mg per day per capita is needed to reproduce the corresponding observations. While the oxygenated organic aerosol predictions during the summer are encouraging a major wintertime source appears to be missing.

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New insights into PM_2.5 chemical composition and sources in two major cities in China during extreme haze events using aerosol mass spectrometry

Miriam Elser, Ru-Jin Huang, Robert Wolf, Jay G. Slowik, Qiyuan Wang, Francesco Canonaco, Guohui Li, Carlo Bozzetti, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Yu Huang, Renjian Zhang, Zhengqiang Li, Junji Cao, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El-Haddad, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 3207–3225,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3207-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3207-2016, 2016

Short summary

This work represents the first online chemical characterization of the PM_2.5 using a high-resolution time-of flight aerosol mass spectrometer during extreme haze events China. The application of novel source apportionment techniques allowed for an improved identification and quantification of the sources of organic aerosols. The main sources and processes driving the extreme haze events are assessed.

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aerosols over the central Himalayas along two south-north transects

Peng Fei Chen, Chao Liu Li, Shi Chang Kang, Maheswar Rupakheti, Arnico K. Panday, Fang Ping Yan, Quan Lian Li, Qiang Gong Zhang, Jun Ming Guo, Dipesh Rupakheti, and Wei Luo

Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-71,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-71, 2016

Revised manuscript not accepted

Short summary

PAHs were measured at six sites along two south-north transects across the central Himalayas. The annual average PAHs and their dry deposition fluxes decreased noticeably from the south to north sides, however, a similar compostion pattern was found at three remote sites, suggesting the northern slope of the Himalayas may be affected by anthropogenic emissions form Indo-Gangetic Plain. PAHs showed a clear seasonal variation at Nepal and they were mainly form biomass and fossil combustion .

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Properties of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the trade wind marine boundary layer of the western North Atlantic

Thomas B. Kristensen, Thomas Müller, Konrad Kandler, Nathalie Benker, Markus Hartmann, Joseph M. Prospero, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Frank Stratmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 2675–2688,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2675-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2675-2016, 2016

Short summary

We have investigated the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) properties in the trade wind marine boundary layer of the western North Atlantic during the dust season. Little is known about the CCN influencing cloud optical properties in that region. High mass concentrations of mineral dust were observed, but the number concentrations of mineral dust and sea salt were not high enough to influence CCN properties, and the CCN were likely to be dominated by a mixture of sulfates and organic species.

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Volatility of organic aerosol and its components in the megacity of Paris

Andrea Paciga, Eleni Karnezi, Evangelia Kostenidou, Lea Hildebrandt, Magda Psichoudaki, Gabriella J. Engelhart, Byong-Hyoek Lee, Monica Crippa, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, and Spyros N. Pandis

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 2013–2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2013-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2013-2016, 2016

Short summary

We estimate the volatility distribution for the organic aerosol (OA) components during summer and winter field campaigns in Paris, France as part of the collaborative project MEGAPOLI. The OA factors (hydrocarbon like OA, cooking OA, marine OA, oxygenated OA) had a broad spectrum of volatilities with no direct link between the average volatility and average oxygen to carbon of the OA components.

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Four-year long-path monitoring of ambient aerosol extinction at a central European urban site: dependence on relative humidity

A. Skupin, A. Ansmann, R. Engelmann, P. Seifert, and T. Müller

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1863–1876,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1863-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1863-2016, 2016

Contribution of ship emissions to the concentration and deposition of air pollutants in Europe

Sebnem Aksoyoglu, Urs Baltensperger, and André S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1895–1906,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1895-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1895-2016, 2016

Short summary

As a least-regulated source, ship emissions contribute significantly to air pollution. We used an air quality model to determine the effects of international shipping on the annual and seasonal concentrations of ozone, primary and secondary components of PM_2.5, and dry and wet deposition of N and S compounds in Europe. The results presented in this paper suggest evolution of NO_x emissions from ships and land-based NH₃ emissions will play a significant role in the future European air quality.

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Evaluation of the size segregation of elemental carbon (EC) emission in Europe: influence on the simulation of EC long-range transportation

Ying Chen, Ya-Fang Cheng, Stephan Nordmann, Wolfram Birmili, Hugo A. C. Denier van der Gon, Nan Ma, Ralf Wolke, Birgit Wehner, Jia Sun, Gerald Spindler, Qing Mu, Ulrich Pöschl, Hang Su, and Alfred Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1823–1835,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1823-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1823-2016, 2016

Short summary

We evaluated the EC point sources in Germany with high-resolution simulation by WRF-Chem, and find out that point sources contribute too much EC in the coarse mode aerosol mass. The area emissions in Eastern Europe and Russia also allocate too much EC emission in coarse mode in the EUCAARI EC emission inventory. Because of the shorter life time of coarse mode EC, about 20–40 % less EC can be transported to Melpitz from Eastern Europe. Size segregation information is important for EC inventories.

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Aqueous phase oxidation of sulphur dioxide by ozone in cloud droplets

C. R. Hoyle, C. Fuchs, E. Järvinen, H. Saathoff, A. Dias, I. El Haddad, M. Gysel, S. C. Coburn, J. Tröstl, A.-K. Bernhammer, F. Bianchi, M. Breitenlechner, J. C. Corbin, J. Craven, N. M. Donahue, J. Duplissy, S. Ehrhart, C. Frege, H. Gordon, N. Höppel, M. Heinritzi, T. B. Kristensen, U. Molteni, L. Nichman, T. Pinterich, A. S. H. Prévôt, M. Simon, J. G. Slowik, G. Steiner, A. Tomé, A. L. Vogel, R. Volkamer, A. C. Wagner, R. Wagner, A. S. Wexler, C. Williamson, P. M. Winkler, C. Yan, A. Amorim, J. Dommen, J. Curtius, M. W. Gallagher, R. C. Flagan, A. Hansel, J. Kirkby, M. Kulmala, O. Möhler, F. Stratmann, D. R. Worsnop, and U. Baltensperger

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1693–1712,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1693-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1693-2016, 2016

Short summary

A significant portion of sulphate, an important constituent of atmospheric aerosols, is formed via the aqueous phase oxidation of sulphur dioxide by ozone. The rate of this reaction has previously only been measured over a relatively small temperature range. Here, we use the state of the art CLOUD chamber at CERN to perform the first measurements of this reaction rate in super-cooled droplets, confirming that the existing extrapolation of the reaction rate to sub-zero temperatures is accurate.

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Wintertime aerosol chemical composition, volatility, and spatial variability in the greater London area

L. Xu, L. R. Williams, D. E. Young, J. D. Allan, H. Coe, P. Massoli, E. Fortner, P. Chhabra, S. Herndon, W. A. Brooks, J. T. Jayne, D. R. Worsnop, A. C. Aiken, S. Liu, K. Gorkowski, M. K. Dubey, Z. L. Fleming, S. Visser, A. S. H. Prévôt, and N. L. Ng

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1139–1160,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1139-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1139-2016, 2016

Short summary

We investigate the spatial distribution of submicron aerosol in the greater London area as part of the Clean Air for London (ClearfLo) project in winter 2012. Although the concentrations of organic aerosol (OA) are similar between a rural and an urban site, the OA sources are different. We also examine the volatility of submicron aerosol at the rural site and find that the non-volatile organics have similar sources or have undergone similar chemical processing as refractory black carbon.

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Particle hygroscopicity and its link to chemical composition in the urban atmosphere of Beijing, China, during summertime

Z. J. Wu, J. Zheng, D. J. Shang, Z. F. Du, Y. S. Wu, L. M. Zeng, A. Wiedensohler, and M. Hu

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1123–1138,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1123-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1123-2016, 2016

Short summary

Most pre-existing measurements lack a linkage between particle hygroscopicity and chemical composition with a high time resolution in China. Our work provided a general overview of particle hygroscopicity and its closure with chemical composition on the basis of HTDMA and AMS measurements. An increase in particle hygroscopicity with increasing air pollution level was found, as well as a quick transformation from external mixtures to internal mixtures for pre-existing particles during NPF events.

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The impact of residential combustion emissions on atmospheric aerosol, human health, and climate

E. W. Butt, A. Rap, A. Schmidt, C. E. Scott, K. J. Pringle, C. L. Reddington, N. A. D. Richards, M. T. Woodhouse, J. Ramirez-Villegas, H. Yang, V. Vakkari, E. A. Stone, M. Rupakheti, P. S. Praveen, P. G. van Zyl, J. P. Beukes, M. Josipovic, E. J. S. Mitchell, S. M. Sallu, P. M. Forster, and D. V. Spracklen

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 873–905,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-873-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-873-2016, 2016

Short summary

We estimate the impact of residential emissions (cooking and heating) on atmospheric aerosol, human health, and climate. We find large contributions to annual mean ambient PM_2.5 in residential sources regions resulting in significant but uncertain global premature mortality when key uncertainties in emission flux are considered. We show that residential emissions exert an uncertain global radiative effect and suggest more work is needed to characterise residential emissions climate importance.

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Overview of the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment/Aerosol Direct Radiative Forcing on the Mediterranean Climate (ChArMEx/ADRIMED) summer 2013 campaign

M. Mallet, F. Dulac, P. Formenti, P. Nabat, J. Sciare, G. Roberts, J. Pelon, G. Ancellet, D. Tanré, F. Parol, C. Denjean, G. Brogniez, A. di Sarra, L. Alados-Arboledas, J. Arndt, F. Auriol, L. Blarel, T. Bourrianne, P. Chazette, S. Chevaillier, M. Claeys, B. D'Anna, Y. Derimian, K. Desboeufs, T. Di Iorio, J.-F. Doussin, P. Durand, A. Féron, E. Freney, C. Gaimoz, P. Goloub, J. L. Gómez-Amo, M. J. Granados-Muñoz, N. Grand, E. Hamonou, I. Jankowiak, M. Jeannot, J.-F. Léon, M. Maillé, S. Mailler, D. Meloni, L. Menut, G. Momboisse, J. Nicolas, T. Podvin, V. Pont, G. Rea, J.-B. Renard, L. Roblou, K. Schepanski, A. Schwarzenboeck, K. Sellegri, M. Sicard, F. Solmon, S. Somot, B Torres, J. Totems, S. Triquet, N. Verdier, C. Verwaerde, F. Waquet, J. Wenger, and P. Zapf

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 455–504,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-455-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-455-2016, 2016

Short summary

The aim of this article is to present an experimental campaign over the Mediterranean focused on aerosol-radiation measurements and modeling. Results indicate an important atmospheric loading associated with a moderate absorbing ability of mineral dust. Observations suggest a complex vertical structure and size distributions characterized by large aerosols within dust plumes. The radiative effect is highly variable, with negative forcing over the Mediterranean and positive over northern Africa.

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Characterization and source apportionment of organic aerosol using offline aerosol mass spectrometry

K. R. Daellenbach, C. Bozzetti, A. Křepelová, F. Canonaco, R. Wolf, P. Zotter, P. Fermo, M. Crippa, J. G. Slowik, Y. Sosedova, Y. Zhang, R.-J. Huang, L. Poulain, S. Szidat, U. Baltensperger, I. El Haddad, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 23–39,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-23-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-23-2016, 2016

Short summary

In this study, we developed an offline technique using the AMS for the characterization of the chemical fingerprints of aerosols collected on quartz filters, and evaluated the suitability of the organic mass spectral data for source apportionment. This technique may be used to enhance the AMS capabilities in measuring size-fractionated, spatially resolved long-term data sets.

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Seasonal variation of ozone and black carbon observed at Paknajol, an urban site in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

D. Putero, P. Cristofanelli, A. Marinoni, B. Adhikary, R. Duchi, S. D. Shrestha, G. P. Verza, T. C. Landi, F. Calzolari, M. Busetto, G. Agrillo, F. Biancofiore, P. Di Carlo, A. K. Panday, M. Rupakheti, and P. Bonasoni

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 13957–13971,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13957-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13957-2015, 2015

Short summary

The aim of this paper is to present a full-year analysis of simultaneous measurements of ozone, black carbon, and aerosol number concentration at Paknajol, in the Kathmandu Valley, one of the global “hot spots” in terms of air pollution. Results indicate persisting poor air quality conditions throughout the measurement period, and suggest that the pollutants' variability is mainly driven by local pollution source activity, local- and large-scale dynamics, photochemistry, and vegetation fires.

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Variability of air ion concentrations in urban Paris

V. N. Dos Santos, E. Herrmann, H. E. Manninen, T. Hussein, J. Hakala, T. Nieminen, P. P. Aalto, M. Merkel, A. Wiedensohler, M. Kulmala, T. Petäjä, and K. Hämeri

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 13717–13737,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13717-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13717-2015, 2015

Short summary

Atmospheric charged particles, i.e. air ions, contribute to secondary aerosol formation and have an effect on global climate as potential cloud condensation nuclei. We aimed to evaluate air ion concentrations and characteristics during new particle formation (NPF) events in the megacity Paris, France. We analyzed frequency and seasonal variations of NPF events, diurnal and seasonal cycles of ions, and aerosol particles.

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ACTRIS ACSM intercomparison – Part 1: Reproducibility of concentration and fragment results from 13 individual Quadrupole Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitors (Q-ACSM) and consistency with co-located instruments

V. Crenn, J. Sciare, P. L. Croteau, S. Verlhac, R. Fröhlich, C. A. Belis, W. Aas, M. Äijälä, A. Alastuey, B. Artiñano, D. Baisnée, N. Bonnaire, M. Bressi, M. Canagaratna, F. Canonaco, C. Carbone, F. Cavalli, E. Coz, M. J. Cubison, J. K. Esser-Gietl, D. C. Green, V. Gros, L. Heikkinen, H. Herrmann, C. Lunder, M. C. Minguillón, G. Močnik, C. D. O'Dowd, J. Ovadnevaite, J.-E. Petit, E. Petralia, L. Poulain, M. Priestman, V. Riffault, A. Ripoll, R. Sarda-Estève, J. G. Slowik, A. Setyan, A. Wiedensohler, U. Baltensperger, A. S. H. Prévôt, J. T. Jayne, and O. Favez

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 5063–5087,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-5063-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-5063-2015, 2015

Short summary

A large intercomparison study of 13 Q-ACSM was conducted for a 3-week period in the region of Paris to evaluate the performance of this instrument and to monitor the major NR-PM1 chemical components. Reproducibility expanded uncertainties of Q-ACSM concentration measurements were found to be 9, 15, 19, 28, and 36% for NR-PM1, NO3, OM, SO4, and NH4, respectively. Some recommendations regarding best calibration practices, standardized data processing and data treatment are also provided.

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Some insights into the condensing vapors driving new particle growth to CCN sizes on the basis of hygroscopicity measurements

Z. J. Wu, L. Poulain, W. Birmili, J. Größ, N. Niedermeier, Z. B. Wang, H. Herrmann, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 13071–13083,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13071-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13071-2015, 2015

A synthesis of cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC) measurements within the EUCAARI network

M. Paramonov, V.-M. Kerminen, M. Gysel, P. P. Aalto, M. O. Andreae, E. Asmi, U. Baltensperger, A. Bougiatioti, D. Brus, G. P. Frank, N. Good, S. S. Gunthe, L. Hao, M. Irwin, A. Jaatinen, Z. Jurányi, S. M. King, A. Kortelainen, A. Kristensson, H. Lihavainen, M. Kulmala, U. Lohmann, S. T. Martin, G. McFiggans, N. Mihalopoulos, A. Nenes, C. D. O'Dowd, J. Ovadnevaite, T. Petäjä, U. Pöschl, G. C. Roberts, D. Rose, B. Svenningsson, E. Swietlicki, E. Weingartner, J. Whitehead, A. Wiedensohler, C. Wittbom, and B. Sierau

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 12211–12229,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12211-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12211-2015, 2015

Short summary

The research paper presents the first comprehensive overview of field measurements with the CCN Counter performed at a large number of locations around the world within the EUCAARI framework. The paper sheds light on the CCN number concentrations and activated fractions around the world and their dependence on the water vapour supersaturation ratio, the dependence of aerosol hygroscopicity on particle size, and seasonal and diurnal variation of CCN activation and hygroscopic properties.

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Fourteen months of on-line measurements of the non-refractory submicron aerosol at the Jungfraujoch (3580 m a.s.l.) – chemical composition, origins and organic aerosol sources

R. Fröhlich, M. J. Cubison, J. G. Slowik, N. Bukowiecki, F. Canonaco, P. L. Croteau, M. Gysel, S. Henne, E. Herrmann, J. T. Jayne, M. Steinbacher, D. R. Worsnop, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 11373–11398,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11373-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11373-2015, 2015

Short summary

This manuscript presents the first long-term (14-month) and highly time-resolved (10 min) measurements of NR-PM1 aerosol chemical composition at a high-altitude site (JFJ, Switzerland, 3580m a.s.l.). The elevated location allowed the investigation of free tropospheric aerosol year round. Total and relative mass loadings, diurnal variations as well as seasonal variations are discussed together with geographical origin, organic aerosol sources and the influence of the planetary boundary layer.

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Advanced source apportionment of size-resolved trace elements at multiple sites in London during winter

S. Visser, J. G. Slowik, M. Furger, P. Zotter, N. Bukowiecki, F. Canonaco, U. Flechsig, K. Appel, D. C. Green, A. H. Tremper, D. E. Young, P. I. Williams, J. D. Allan, H. Coe, L. R. Williams, C. Mohr, L. Xu, N. L. Ng, E. Nemitz, J. F. Barlow, C. H. Halios, Z. L. Fleming, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 11291–11309,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11291-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11291-2015, 2015

Short summary

Trace element measurements in three particle size ranges (PM10-2.5, PM2.5-1.0 and PM1.0-0.3) were performed with 2h time resolution at kerbside, urban background and rural sites during the ClearfLo winter 2012 campaign in London. The environment-dependent variability of emissions was characterized using the Multilinear Engine implementation of the positive matrix factorization model. A total of nine different factors were resolved from local, regional and natural origin.

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Black carbon, particle number concentration and nitrogen oxide emission factors of random in-use vehicles measured with the on-road chasing method

I. Ježek, T. Katrašnik, D. Westerdahl, and G. Močnik

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 11011–11026,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11011-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11011-2015, 2015

Short summary

On-road measurement of black carbon (BC), NOx and particle number (PN) emission factors (EF) by chasing vehicles is the first such study where BC EFs of many individual diesel cars were determined in real-world conditions. Median BC EF of diesel and gasoline cars in use for<5 years, decreased by 60% and 47% from those in use for 5–10 years. Reductions for goods vehicles' NOx and PN EFs were 52% and 67%. We found an increase of BC EFs in newer goods vehicle fleet compared to 5 – 10 year old one.

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Thermal-optical analysis for the measurement of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) in ambient air a literature review

A. Karanasiou, M. C. Minguillón, M. Viana, A. Alastuey, J.-P. Putaud, W. Maenhaut, P. Panteliadis, G. Močnik, O. Favez, and T. A. J. Kuhlbusch

Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-9649-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-9649-2015, 2015

Revised manuscript not accepted

In situ formation and spatial variability of particle number concentration in a European megacity

M. Pikridas, J. Sciare, F. Freutel, S. Crumeyrolle, S.-L. von der Weiden-Reinmüller, A. Borbon, A. Schwarzenboeck, M. Merkel, M. Crippa, E. Kostenidou, M. Psichoudaki, L. Hildebrandt, G. J. Engelhart, T. Petäjä, A. S. H. Prévôt, F. Drewnick, U. Baltensperger, A. Wiedensohler, M. Kulmala, M. Beekmann, and S. N. Pandis

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 10219–10237,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10219-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10219-2015, 2015

Short summary

Aerosol size distribution measurements from three ground sites, two mobile laboratories, and one airplane are combined to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of ultrafine particles in and around Paris during the summer and winter MEGAPOLI campaigns. The role of nucleation as a particle source and the influence of Paris emissions on their surroundings are examined.

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Evaluating BC and NO_x emission inventories for the Paris region from MEGAPOLI aircraft measurements

H. Petetin, M. Beekmann, A. Colomb, H. A. C. Denier van der Gon, J.-C. Dupont, C. Honoré, V. Michoud, Y. Morille, O. Perrussel, A. Schwarzenboeck, J. Sciare, A. Wiedensohler, and Q. J. Zhang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 9799–9818,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-9799-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-9799-2015, 2015

In situ, satellite measurement and model evidence on the dominant regional contribution to fine particulate matter levels in the Paris megacity

M. Beekmann, A. S. H. Prévôt, F. Drewnick, J. Sciare, S. N. Pandis, H. A. C. Denier van der Gon, M. Crippa, F. Freutel, L. Poulain, V. Ghersi, E. Rodriguez, S. Beirle, P. Zotter, S.-L. von der Weiden-Reinmüller, M. Bressi, C. Fountoukis, H. Petetin, S. Szidat, J. Schneider, A. Rosso, I. El Haddad, A. Megaritis, Q. J. Zhang, V. Michoud, J. G. Slowik, S. Moukhtar, P. Kolmonen, A. Stohl, S. Eckhardt, A. Borbon, V. Gros, N. Marchand, J. L. Jaffrezo, A. Schwarzenboeck, A. Colomb, A. Wiedensohler, S. Borrmann, M. Lawrence, A. Baklanov, and U. Baltensperger

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 9577–9591,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-9577-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-9577-2015, 2015

Short summary

A detailed characterization of air quality in the Paris (France) agglomeration, a megacity, during two summer and winter intensive campaigns and from additional 1-year observations, revealed that about 70% of the fine particulate matter (PM) at urban background is transported into the megacity from upwind regions. Unexpectedly, a major part of organic PM is of modern origin (woodburning and cooking activities, secondary formation from biogenic VOC).

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Aerosol chemistry above an extended archipelago of the eastern Mediterranean basin during strong northern winds

E. Athanasopoulou, A. P. Protonotariou, E. Bossioli, A. Dandou, M. Tombrou, J. D. Allan, H. Coe, N. Mihalopoulos, J. Kalogiros, A. Bacak, J. Sciare, and G. Biskos

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 8401–8421,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-8401-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-8401-2015, 2015

Short summary

A model system is evaluated versus ground and airborne aerosol measurements, towards the identification of its competencies and deficiencies over the eastern Mediterranean (EM) during summer. Secondary organic aerosol (OA) formation is investigated towards improving OA behaviour. Biomass burning is a significant particle source, largely explaining OA underestimation (ca. 50%). More than 70% of the aerosol mass over the EM is related to trans-boundary transport during strong northeastern winds.

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Seasonal differences in oxygenated organic aerosol composition: implications for emissions sources and factor analysis

F. Canonaco, J. G. Slowik, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 6993–7002,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6993-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6993-2015, 2015

ACTRIS ACSM intercomparison – Part 2: Intercomparison of ME-2 organic source apportionment results from 15 individual, co-located aerosol mass spectrometers

R. Fröhlich, V. Crenn, A. Setyan, C. A. Belis, F. Canonaco, O. Favez, V. Riffault, J. G. Slowik, W. Aas, M. Aijälä, A. Alastuey, B. Artiñano, N. Bonnaire, C. Bozzetti, M. Bressi, C. Carbone, E. Coz, P. L. Croteau, M. J. Cubison, J. K. Esser-Gietl, D. C. Green, V. Gros, L. Heikkinen, H. Herrmann, J. T. Jayne, C. R. Lunder, M. C. Minguillón, G. Močnik, C. D. O'Dowd, J. Ovadnevaite, E. Petralia, L. Poulain, M. Priestman, A. Ripoll, R. Sarda-Estève, A. Wiedensohler, U. Baltensperger, J. Sciare, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 2555–2576,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2555-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2555-2015, 2015

Short summary

Source apportionment (SA) of organic aerosol mass spectrometric data measured with the Aerodyne ACSM using PMF/ME2 is a frequently used technique in the AMS/ACSM community. ME2 uncertainties due to instrument-to-instrument variations are elucidated by performing SA on ambient data from 14 individual, co-located ACSMs, recorded during the first ACTRIS ACSM intercomparison study at SIRTA near Paris (France). The mean uncertainty was 17.2%. Recommendations for future studies using ME2 are provided.

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

M. C. Minguillón, A. Ripoll, N. Pérez, A. S. H. Prévôt, F. Canonaco, X. Querol, and A. Alastuey

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 6379–6391,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6379-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6379-2015, 2015

Short summary

The study focuses on the aerosol variations found in the regional background of the western Mediterranean basin and their relation with atmospheric conditions and scenarios. An Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) was deployed for 1 year and the results were validated with co-located PM1 measurements. The organic sources were investigated and the local secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation was estimated.

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Ozone and aerosol tropospheric concentrations variability analyzed using the ADRIMED measurements and the WRF and CHIMERE models

L. Menut, S. Mailler, G. Siour, B. Bessagnet, S. Turquety, G. Rea, R. Briant, M. Mallet, J. Sciare, P. Formenti, and F. Meleux

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 6159–6182,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6159-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6159-2015, 2015

Short summary

The ozone and aerosol concentration variability is studied over the Euro-Mediterranean area during the months of June and July 2013 and in the framework of the ADRIMED project. A first analysis is performed using meteorological variables, ozone and aerosol concentrations using routine network station, satellite and specific ADRIMED project airborne measurements. This analysis is complemented by modeling using the WRF and CHIMERE regional models.

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Atmospheric brown clouds reach the Tibetan Plateau by crossing the Himalayas

Z. L. Lüthi, B. Škerlak, S.-W. Kim, A. Lauer, A. Mues, M. Rupakheti, and S. Kang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 6007–6021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6007-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6007-2015, 2015

Short summary

The Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau region (HTP) is regularly exposed to polluted air masses that might influence glaciers as well as climate on regional to global scales. We found that atmospheric brown clouds from South Asia reach the HTP by crossing the Himalayas not only through the major north--south river valleys but rather over large areas by being lifted and advected at mid-troposheric levels. The transport is enabled by a combination of synoptic and local meteorological settings.

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Atmospheric water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) over marine environments: a global perspective

K. Violaki, J. Sciare, J. Williams, A. R. Baker, M. Martino, and N. Mihalopoulos

Biogeosciences, 12, 3131–3140,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-3131-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-3131-2015, 2015

Modeling the formation and aging of secondary organic aerosols in Los Angeles during CalNex 2010

P. L. Hayes, A. G. Carlton, K. R. Baker, R. Ahmadov, R. A. Washenfelder, S. Alvarez, B. Rappenglück, J. B. Gilman, W. C. Kuster, J. A. de Gouw, P. Zotter, A. S. H. Prévôt, S. Szidat, T. E. Kleindienst, J. H. Offenberg, P. K. Ma, and J. L. Jimenez

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5773–5801,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5773-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5773-2015, 2015

Short summary

(1) Four different parameterizations for the formation and chemical evolution of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are evaluated using a box model representing the Los Angeles region during the CalNex campaign.(2) The SOA formed only from the oxidation of VOCs is insufficient to explain the observed SOA concentrations.(3) The amount of SOA mass formed from diesel vehicle emissions is estimated to be 16-27%.(4) Modeled SOA depends strongly on the P-S/IVOC volatility distribution.

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Scanning supersaturation condensation particle counter applied as a nano-CCN counter for size-resolved analysis of the hygroscopicity and chemical composition of nanoparticles

Z. Wang, H. Su, X. Wang, N. Ma, A. Wiedensohler, U. Pöschl, and Y. Cheng

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 2161–2172,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2161-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2161-2015, 2015

Characterization of satellite-based proxies for estimating nucleation mode particles over South Africa

A.-M. Sundström, A. Nikandrova, K. Atlaskina, T. Nieminen, V. Vakkari, L. Laakso, J. P. Beukes, A. Arola, P. G. van Zyl, M. Josipovic, A. D. Venter, K. Jaars, J. J. Pienaar, S. Piketh, A. Wiedensohler, E. K. Chiloane, G. de Leeuw, and M. Kulmala

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 4983–4996,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-4983-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-4983-2015, 2015

Sources and contributions of wood smoke during winter in London: assessing local and regional influences

L. R. Crilley, W. J. Bloss, J. Yin, D. C. S. Beddows, R. M. Harrison, J. D. Allan, D. E. Young, M. Flynn, P. Williams, P. Zotter, A. S. H. Prevot, M. R. Heal, J. F. Barlow, C. H. Halios, J. D. Lee, S. Szidat, and C. Mohr

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 3149–3171,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3149-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3149-2015, 2015

Short summary

Wood is a renewable fuel but its combustion for residential heating releases a number of locally acting air pollutants, most notably particulate matter known to have adverse effects on human health. This paper used chemical tracers for wood smoke to estimate the contribution that burning wood makes to concentrations of airborne particles in the atmosphere of southern England and most particularly in London.

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Two years of near real-time chemical composition of submicron aerosols in the region of Paris using an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) and a multi-wavelength Aethalometer

J.-E. Petit, O. Favez, J. Sciare, V. Crenn, R. Sarda-Estève, N. Bonnaire, G. Močnik, J.-C. Dupont, M. Haeffelin, and E. Leoz-Garziandia

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 2985–3005,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2985-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2985-2015, 2015

Characterization of primary and secondary wood combustion products generated under different burner loads

E. A. Bruns, M. Krapf, J. Orasche, Y. Huang, R. Zimmermann, L. Drinovec, G. Močnik, I. El-Haddad, J. G. Slowik, J. Dommen, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 2825–2841,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2825-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2825-2015, 2015

Short summary

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Kerb and urban increment of highly time-resolved trace elements in PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM_1.0 winter aerosol in London during ClearfLo 2012

S. Visser, J. G. Slowik, M. Furger, P. Zotter, N. Bukowiecki, R. Dressler, U. Flechsig, K. Appel, D. C. Green, A. H. Tremper, D. E. Young, P. I. Williams, J. D. Allan, S. C. Herndon, L. R. Williams, C. Mohr, L. Xu, N. L. Ng, A. Detournay, J. F. Barlow, C. H. Halios, Z. L. Fleming, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 2367–2386,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2367-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2367-2015, 2015

Short summary

Ambient concentrations of trace elements with 2h time resolution were measured in three size ranges (PM10–2.5, PM2.5–1.0, PM1.0–0.3) at kerbside, urban background and rural sites in London during the ClearfLo (Clean Air for London) field campaign. Quantification of kerb and urban increments, and assessment of diurnal and weekly variability provided insight into sources governing urban air quality and the effects of urban micro-environments on human exposure.

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ECOC comparison exercise with identical thermal protocols after temperature offset correction – instrument diagnostics by in-depth evaluation of operational parameters

P. Panteliadis, T. Hafkenscheid, B. Cary, E. Diapouli, A. Fischer, O. Favez, P. Quincey, M. Viana, R. Hitzenberger, R. Vecchi, D. Saraga, J. Sciare, J. L. Jaffrezo, A. John, J. Schwarz, M. Giannoni, J. Novak, A. Karanasiou, P. Fermo, and W. Maenhaut

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 779–792,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-779-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-779-2015, 2015

Insights into characteristics, sources, and evolution of submicron aerosols during harvest seasons in the Yangtze River delta region, China

Y. J. Zhang, L. L. Tang, Z. Wang, H. X. Yu, Y. L. Sun, D. Liu, W. Qin, F. Canonaco, A. S. H. Prévôt, H. L. Zhang, and H. C. Zhou

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 1331–1349,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1331-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1331-2015, 2015

Short summary

The chemical composition, sources, and evolution processes of PM1 were investigated with an Aerodyne ACSM during harvest seasons in the Yangtze River delta, China. Two biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA) factors derived from PMF model were assessed. The oxidized BBOA contributes ~80% of the total BBOA loadings in the BB plumes. Evidence that BBOA may be oxidized to more aged and less volatile organics during the aging process was suggested.

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Evidence for an unidentified non-photochemical ground-level source of formaldehyde in the Po Valley with potential implications for ozone production

J. Kaiser, G. M. Wolfe, B. Bohn, S. Broch, H. Fuchs, L. N. Ganzeveld, S. Gomm, R. Häseler, A. Hofzumahaus, F. Holland, J. Jäger, X. Li, I. Lohse, K. Lu, A. S. H. Prévôt, F. Rohrer, R. Wegener, R. Wolf, T. F. Mentel, A. Kiendler-Scharr, A. Wahner, and F. N. Keutsch

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 1289–1298,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1289-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1289-2015, 2015

Short summary

Using measurements acquired from a Zeppelin airship during the PEGASOS 2012 campaign, we show that VOC oxidation alone cannot account for the formaldehyde concentrations observed in the morning over rural Italy. Vertical profiles suggest a ground-level source of HCHO. Incorporating this additional HCHO source into a photochemical model increases calculated O3 production by as much as 12%.

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Fossil vs. non-fossil sources of fine carbonaceous aerosols in four Chinese cities during the extreme winter haze episode of 2013

Y.-L. Zhang, R.-J. Huang, I. El Haddad, K.-F. Ho, J.-J. Cao, Y. Han, P. Zotter, C. Bozzetti, K. R. Daellenbach, F. Canonaco, J. G. Slowik, G. Salazar, M. Schwikowski, J. Schnelle-Kreis, G. Abbaszade, R. Zimmermann, U. Baltensperger, A. S. H. Prévôt, and S. Szidat

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 1299–1312,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1299-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1299-2015, 2015

Short summary

Source apportionment of fine carbonaceous aerosols using radiocarbon and other organic markers measurements during 2013 winter haze episodes was conducted at four megacities in China. Our results demonstrate that fossil emissions predominate EC with a mean contribution of 75±8%, whereas non-fossil sources account for 55±10% of OC; and the increment of TC on heavily polluted days was mainly driven by the increase of secondary OC from both fossil-fuel and non-fossil emissions.

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J.-B. Renard, F. Dulac, G. Berthet, T. Lurton, D. Vignelles, F. Jégou, T. Tonnelier, C. Thaury, M. Jeannot, B. Couté, R. Akiki, J.-L. Mineau, N. Verdier, M. Mallet, F. Gensdarmes, P. Charpentier, S. Mesmin, V. Duverger, J.-C. Dupont, T. Elias, V. Crenn, J. Sciare, J. Giacomoni, M. Gobbi, E. Hamonou, H. Olafsson, P. Dagsson-Waldhauserova, C. Camy-Peyret, C. Mazel, T. Décamps, M. Piringer, J. Surcin, and D. Daugeron

Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-1203-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-1203-2015, 2015

Revised manuscript not accepted

J.-B. Renard, F. Dulac, G. Berthet, T. Lurton, D. Vignelle, F. Jégou, T. Tonnelier, C. Thaury, M. Jeannot, B. Couté, R. Akiki, J.-L. Mineau, N. Verdier, M. Mallet, F. Gensdarmes, P. Charpentier, S. Mesmin, V. Duverger, J.-C. Dupont, T. Elias, V. Crenn, J. Sciare, J. Giacomoni, M. Gobbi, E. Hamonou, H. Olafsson, P. Dagsson-Waldhauserova, C. Camy-Peyret, C. Mazel, T. Décamps, M. Piringer, J. Surcin, and D. Daugeron

Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-1261-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-1261-2015, 2015

Revised manuscript not accepted

Short summary

We present exemples of measurements obtained by the new light optical aerosol counter LOAC. The measurement were conducted from different kinds of balloons in the troposphre and stratosphere.

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An intercomparison study of analytical methods used for quantification of levoglucosan in ambient aerosol filter samples

K. E. Yttri, J. Schnelle-Kreis, W. Maenhaut, G. Abbaszade, C. Alves, A. Bjerke, N. Bonnier, R. Bossi, M. Claeys, C. Dye, M. Evtyugina, D. García-Gacio, R. Hillamo, A. Hoffer, M. Hyder, Y. Iinuma, J.-L. Jaffrezo, A. Kasper-Giebl, G. Kiss, P. L. López-Mahia, C. Pio, C. Piot, C. Ramirez-Santa-Cruz, J. Sciare, K. Teinilä, R. Vermeylen, A. Vicente, and R. Zimmermann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 125–147,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-125-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-125-2015, 2015

Determination of car on-road black carbon and particle number emission factors and comparison between mobile and stationary measurements

I. Ježek, L. Drinovec, L. Ferrero, M. Carriero, and G. Močnik

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 43–55,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-43-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-43-2015, 2015

Short summary

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Submicron aerosol source apportionment of wintertime pollution in Paris, France by double positive matrix factorization (PMF²) using an aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) and a multi-wavelength Aethalometer

J.-E. Petit, O. Favez, J. Sciare, F. Canonaco, P. Croteau, G. Močnik, J. Jayne, D. Worsnop, and E. Leoz-Garziandia

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 13773–13787,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13773-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13773-2014, 2014

Radiocarbon analysis of elemental and organic carbon in Switzerland during winter-smog episodes from 2008 to 2012 – Part 1: Source apportionment and spatial variability

P. Zotter, V. G. Ciobanu, Y. L. Zhang, I. El-Haddad, M. Macchia, K. R. Daellenbach, G. A. Salazar, R.-J. Huang, L. Wacker, C. Hueglin, A. Piazzalunga, P. Fermo, M. Schwikowski, U. Baltensperger, S. Szidat, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 13551–13570,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13551-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13551-2014, 2014

Atmospheric measurements of ratios between CO₂ and co-emitted species from traffic: a tunnel study in the Paris megacity

L. Ammoura, I. Xueref-Remy, V. Gros, A. Baudic, B. Bonsang, J.-E. Petit, O. Perrussel, N. Bonnaire, J. Sciare, and F. Chevallier

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 12871–12882,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-12871-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-12871-2014, 2014

Short summary

We present the first study of CO2, VOCs and NOx measured all together in a road tunnel around the Paris megacity with the aim to quantify the ratios of these species co-emitted within traffic emissions. It allows us to independently assess some of the ratios provided in the latest Paris emission inventory. It also reveals a large variability of the ratios to CO2, implying that traffic does not have a unique imprint in the urban plume, but rather leaves various signatures.

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Constrained two-stream algorithm for calculating aerosol light absorption coefficient from the Particle Soot Absorption Photometer

T. Müller, A. Virkkula, and J. A. Ogren

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 4049–4070,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4049-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4049-2014, 2014

Atmospheric black carbon and warming effects influenced by the source and absorption enhancement in central Europe

S. Nordmann, Y. F. Cheng, G. R. Carmichael, M. Yu, H. A. C. Denier van der Gon, Q. Zhang, P. E. Saide, U. Pöschl, H. Su, W. Birmili, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 12683–12699,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-12683-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-12683-2014, 2014

Global modelling of direct and indirect effects of sea spray aerosol using a source function encapsulating wave state

A.-I. Partanen, E. M. Dunne, T. Bergman, A. Laakso, H. Kokkola, J. Ovadnevaite, L. Sogacheva, D. Baisnée, J. Sciare, A. Manders, C. O'Dowd, G. de Leeuw, and H. Korhonen

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 11731–11752,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-11731-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-11731-2014, 2014

Short summary

New parameterizations for the sea spray aerosol source flux and its organic fraction were incorporated into a global aerosol-climate model. The emissions of sea salt were considerably less than previous estimates. This study demonstrates that sea spray aerosol may actually decrease the number of cloud droplets, which has a warming effect on climate. Overall, sea spray aerosol was predicted to have a global cooling effect due to the scattering of solar radiation from sea spray aerosol particles.

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The AeroCom evaluation and intercomparison of organic aerosol in global models

K. Tsigaridis, N. Daskalakis, M. Kanakidou, P. J. Adams, P. Artaxo, R. Bahadur, Y. Balkanski, S. E. Bauer, N. Bellouin, A. Benedetti, T. Bergman, T. K. Berntsen, J. P. Beukes, H. Bian, K. S. Carslaw, M. Chin, G. Curci, T. Diehl, R. C. Easter, S. J. Ghan, S. L. Gong, A. Hodzic, C. R. Hoyle, T. Iversen, S. Jathar, J. L. Jimenez, J. W. Kaiser, A. Kirkevåg, D. Koch, H. Kokkola, Y. H Lee, G. Lin, X. Liu, G. Luo, X. Ma, G. W. Mann, N. Mihalopoulos, J.-J. Morcrette, J.-F. Müller, G. Myhre, S. Myriokefalitakis, N. L. Ng, D. O'Donnell, J. E. Penner, L. Pozzoli, K. J. Pringle, L. M. Russell, M. Schulz, J. Sciare, Ø. Seland, D. T. Shindell, S. Sillman, R. B. Skeie, D. Spracklen, T. Stavrakou, S. D. Steenrod, T. Takemura, P. Tiitta, S. Tilmes, H. Tost, T. van Noije, P. G. van Zyl, K. von Salzen, F. Yu, Z. Wang, Z. Wang, R. A. Zaveri, H. Zhang, K. Zhang, Q. Zhang, and X. Zhang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10845–10895,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10845-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10845-2014, 2014

The influence of physical state on shikimic acid ozonolysis: a case for in situ microspectroscopy

S. S. Steimer, M. Lampimäki, E. Coz, G. Grzinic, and M. Ammann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10761–10772,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10761-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10761-2014, 2014

Ion – particle interactions during particle formation and growth at a coniferous forest site in central Europe

S. G. Gonser, F. Klein, W. Birmili, J. Größ, M. Kulmala, H. E. Manninen, A. Wiedensohler, and A. Held

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10547–10563,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10547-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10547-2014, 2014

Volatile and intermediate volatility organic compounds in suburban Paris: variability, origin and importance for SOA formation

W. Ait-Helal, A. Borbon, S. Sauvage, J. A. de Gouw, A. Colomb, V. Gros, F. Freutel, M. Crippa, C. Afif, U. Baltensperger, M. Beekmann, J.-F. Doussin, R. Durand-Jolibois, I. Fronval, N. Grand, T. Leonardis, M. Lopez, V. Michoud, K. Miet, S. Perrier, A. S. H. Prévôt, J. Schneider, G. Siour, P. Zapf, and N. Locoge

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10439–10464,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10439-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10439-2014, 2014

Chemical mass balance of 300 °C non-volatile particles at the tropospheric research site Melpitz, Germany

L. Poulain, W. Birmili, F. Canonaco, M. Crippa, Z. J. Wu, S. Nordmann, G. Spindler, A. S. H. Prévôt, A. Wiedensohler, and H. Herrmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10145–10162,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10145-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10145-2014, 2014

Size distribution, mixing state and source apportionment of black carbon aerosol in London during wintertime

D. Liu, J. D. Allan, D. E. Young, H. Coe, D. Beddows, Z. L. Fleming, M. J. Flynn, M. W. Gallagher, R. M. Harrison, J. Lee, A. S. H. Prevot, J. W. Taylor, J. Yin, P. I. Williams, and P. Zotter

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10061–10084,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10061-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10061-2014, 2014

Impact of black carbon aerosol over Italian basin valleys: high-resolution measurements along vertical profiles, radiative forcing and heating rate

L. Ferrero, M. Castelli, B. S. Ferrini, M. Moscatelli, M. G. Perrone, G. Sangiorgi, L. D'Angelo, G. Rovelli, B. Moroni, F. Scardazza, G. Močnik, E. Bolzacchini, M. Petitta, and D. Cappelletti

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 9641–9664,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-9641-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-9641-2014, 2014

Analysis of the atmospheric composition during the summer 2013 over the Mediterranean area using the CHARMEX measurements and the CHIMERE model

L. Menut, S. Mailler, G. Siour, B. Bessagnet, S. Turquety, G. Rea, R. Briant, M. Mallet, J. Sciare, and P. Formenti

Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-14-23075-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-14-23075-2014, 2014

Revised manuscript not accepted

Sources and geographical origins of fine aerosols in Paris (France)

M. Bressi, J. Sciare, V. Ghersi, N. Mihalopoulos, J.-E. Petit, J. B. Nicolas, S. Moukhtar, A. Rosso, A. Féron, N. Bonnaire, E. Poulakis, and C. Theodosi

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 8813–8839,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8813-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8813-2014, 2014

Influence of cloud processing on CCN activation behaviour in the Thuringian Forest, Germany during HCCT-2010

S. Henning, K. Dieckmann, K. Ignatius, M. Schäfer, P. Zedler, E. Harris, B. Sinha, D. van Pinxteren, S. Mertes, W. Birmili, M. Merkel, Z. Wu, A. Wiedensohler, H. Wex, H. Herrmann, and F. Stratmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 7859–7868,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-7859-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-7859-2014, 2014

Determination and analysis of in situ spectral aerosol optical properties by a multi-instrumental approach

S. Segura, V. Estellés, G. Titos, H. Lyamani, M. P. Utrillas, P. Zotter, A. S. H. Prévôt, G. Močnik, L. Alados-Arboledas, and J. A. Martínez-Lozano

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 2373–2387,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-2373-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-2373-2014, 2014

A novel model evaluation approach focusing on local and advected contributions to urban PM_2.5 levels – application to Paris, France

H. Petetin, M. Beekmann, J. Sciare, M. Bressi, A. Rosso, O. Sanchez, and V. Ghersi

Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 1483–1505,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-1483-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-1483-2014, 2014

Determination of alkylamines in atmospheric aerosol particles: a comparison of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and ion chromatography approaches

R.-J. Huang, W.-B. Li, Y.-R. Wang, Q. Y. Wang, W. T. Jia, K.-F. Ho, J. J. Cao, G. H. Wang, X. Chen, I. EI Haddad, Z. X. Zhuang, X. R. Wang, A. S. H. Prévôt, C. D. O'Dowd, and T. Hoffmann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 2027–2035,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-2027-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-2027-2014, 2014

Chemistry of new particle growth in mixed urban and biogenic emissions – insights from CARES

A. Setyan, C. Song, M. Merkel, W. B. Knighton, T. B. Onasch, M. R. Canagaratna, D. R. Worsnop, A. Wiedensohler, J. E. Shilling, and Q. Zhang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6477–6494,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6477-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6477-2014, 2014

Single particle diversity and mixing state measurements

R. M. Healy, N. Riemer, J. C. Wenger, M. Murphy, M. West, L. Poulain, A. Wiedensohler, I. P. O'Connor, E. McGillicuddy, J. R. Sodeau, and G. J. Evans

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6289–6299,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6289-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6289-2014, 2014

Tropospheric aerosol scattering and absorption over central Europe: a closure study for the dry particle state

N. Ma, W. Birmili, T. Müller, T. Tuch, Y. F. Cheng, W. Y. Xu, C. S. Zhao, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6241–6259,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6241-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6241-2014, 2014

Emissions of organic aerosol mass, black carbon, particle number, and regulated and unregulated gases from scooters and light and heavy duty vehicles with different fuels

R. Chirico, M. Clairotte, T. W. Adam, B. Giechaskiel, M. F. Heringa, M. Elsasser, G. Martini, U. Manfredi, T. Streibel, M. Sklorz, R. Zimmermann, P. F. DeCarlo, C. Astorga, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prevot

Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-14-16591-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-14-16591-2014, 2014

Revised manuscript has not been submitted

Organic aerosol components derived from 25 AMS data sets across Europe using a consistent ME-2 based source apportionment approach

M. Crippa, F. Canonaco, V. A. Lanz, M. Äijälä, J. D. Allan, S. Carbone, G. Capes, D. Ceburnis, M. Dall'Osto, D. A. Day, P. F. DeCarlo, M. Ehn, A. Eriksson, E. Freney, L. Hildebrandt Ruiz, R. Hillamo, J. L. Jimenez, H. Junninen, A. Kiendler-Scharr, A.-M. Kortelainen, M. Kulmala, A. Laaksonen, A. A. Mensah, C. Mohr, E. Nemitz, C. O'Dowd, J. Ovadnevaite, S. N. Pandis, T. Petäjä, L. Poulain, S. Saarikoski, K. Sellegri, E. Swietlicki, P. Tiitta, D. R. Worsnop, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6159–6176,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6159-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6159-2014, 2014

Clues for a standardised thermal-optical protocol for the assessment of organic and elemental carbon within ambient air particulate matter

L. Chiappini, S. Verlhac, R. Aujay, W. Maenhaut, J. P. Putaud, J. Sciare, J. L. Jaffrezo, C. Liousse, C. Galy-Lacaux, L. Y. Alleman, P. Panteliadis, E. Leoz, and O. Favez

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 1649–1661,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-1649-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-1649-2014, 2014

Primary and secondary biomass burning aerosols determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy during the 2008 EUCAARI campaign in the Po Valley (Italy)

M. Paglione, S. Saarikoski, S. Carbone, R. Hillamo, M. C. Facchini, E. Finessi, L. Giulianelli, C. Carbone, S. Fuzzi, F. Moretti, E. Tagliavini, E. Swietlicki, K. Eriksson Stenström, A. S. H. Prévôt, P. Massoli, M. Canaragatna, D. Worsnop, and S. Decesari

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 5089–5110,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-5089-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-5089-2014, 2014

Variations in tropospheric submicron particle size distributions across the European continent 2008–2009

D. C. S. Beddows, M. Dall'Osto, R. M. Harrison, M. Kulmala, A. Asmi, A. Wiedensohler, P. Laj, A.M. Fjaeraa, K. Sellegri, W. Birmili, N. Bukowiecki, E. Weingartner, U. Baltensperger, V. Zdimal, N. Zikova, J.-P. Putaud, A. Marinoni, P. Tunved, H.-C. Hansson, M. Fiebig, N. Kivekäs, E. Swietlicki, H. Lihavainen, E. Asmi, V. Ulevicius, P. P. Aalto, N. Mihalopoulos, N. Kalivitis, I. Kalapov, G. Kiss, G. de Leeuw, B. Henzing, C. O'Dowd, S. G. Jennings, H. Flentje, F. Meinhardt, L. Ries, H. A. C. Denier van der Gon, and A. J. H. Visschedijk

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 4327–4348,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4327-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4327-2014, 2014

Mass deposition fluxes of Saharan mineral dust to the tropical northeast Atlantic Ocean: an intercomparison of methods

N. Niedermeier, A. Held, T. Müller, B. Heinold, K. Schepanski, I. Tegen, K. Kandler, M. Ebert, S. Weinbruch, K. Read, J. Lee, K. W. Fomba, K. Müller, H. Herrmann, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 2245–2266,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-2245-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-2245-2014, 2014

Characterizing the impact of urban emissions on regional aerosol particles: airborne measurements during the MEGAPOLI experiment

E. J. Freney, K. Sellegri, F. Canonaco, A. Colomb, A. Borbon, V. Michoud, J.-F. Doussin, S. Crumeyrolle, N. Amarouche, J.-M. Pichon, T. Bourianne, L. Gomes, A. S. H. Prevot, M. Beekmann, and A. Schwarzenböeck

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 1397–1412,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-1397-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-1397-2014, 2014

Application of mobile aerosol and trace gas measurements for the investigation of megacity air pollution emissions: the Paris metropolitan area

S.-L. von der Weiden-Reinmüller, F. Drewnick, M. Crippa, A. S. H. Prévôt, F. Meleux, U. Baltensperger, M. Beekmann, and S. Borrmann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 279–299,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-279-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-279-2014, 2014

Characteristics of regional new particle formation in urban and regional background environments in the North China Plain

Z. B. Wang, M. Hu, J. Y. Sun, Z. J. Wu, D. L. Yue, X. J. Shen, Y. M. Zhang, X. Y. Pei, Y. F. Cheng, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 12495–12506,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-12495-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-12495-2013, 2013

The ToF-ACSM: a portable aerosol chemical speciation monitor with TOFMS detection

R. Fröhlich, M. J. Cubison, J. G. Slowik, N. Bukowiecki, A. S. H. Prévôt, U. Baltensperger, J. Schneider, J. R. Kimmel, M. Gonin, U. Rohner, D. R. Worsnop, and J. T. Jayne

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 3225–3241,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3225-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3225-2013, 2013

The simulations of sulfuric acid concentration and new particle formation in an urban atmosphere in China

Z. B. Wang, M. Hu, D. Mogensen, D. L. Yue, J. Zheng, R. Y. Zhang, Y. Liu, B. Yuan, X. Li, M. Shao, L. Zhou, Z. J. Wu, A. Wiedensohler, and M. Boy

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 11157–11167,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-11157-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-11157-2013, 2013

Maïdo observatory: a new high-altitude station facility at Reunion Island (21° S, 55° E) for long-term atmospheric remote sensing and in situ measurements

J.-L. Baray, Y. Courcoux, P. Keckhut, T. Portafaix, P. Tulet, J.-P. Cammas, A. Hauchecorne, S. Godin Beekmann, M. De Mazière, C. Hermans, F. Desmet, K. Sellegri, A. Colomb, M. Ramonet, J. Sciare, C. Vuillemin, C. Hoareau, D. Dionisi, V. Duflot, H. Vérèmes, J. Porteneuve, F. Gabarrot, T. Gaudo, J.-M. Metzger, G. Payen, J. Leclair de Bellevue, C. Barthe, F. Posny, P. Ricaud, A. Abchiche, and R. Delmas

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 2865–2877,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-2865-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-2865-2013, 2013

Long-term measurements of particle number size distributions and the relationships with air mass history and source apportionment in the summer of Beijing

Z. B. Wang, M. Hu, Z. J. Wu, D. L. Yue, L. Y. He, X. F. Huang, X. G. Liu, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 10159–10170,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10159-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10159-2013, 2013

Quantitative determination of carbonaceous particle mixing state in Paris using single-particle mass spectrometer and aerosol mass spectrometer measurements

R. M. Healy, J. Sciare, L. Poulain, M. Crippa, A. Wiedensohler, A. S. H. Prévôt, U. Baltensperger, R. Sarda-Estève, M. L. McGuire, C.-H. Jeong, E. McGillicuddy, I. P. O'Connor, J. R. Sodeau, G. J. Evans, and J. C. Wenger

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 9479–9496,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9479-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9479-2013, 2013

Secondary organic aerosol formation from gasoline vehicle emissions in a new mobile environmental reaction chamber

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 9141–9158,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9141-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9141-2013, 2013

Absorption properties of Mediterranean aerosols obtained from multi-year ground-based remote sensing observations

M. Mallet, O. Dubovik, P. Nabat, F. Dulac, R. Kahn, J. Sciare, D. Paronis, and J. F. Léon

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 9195–9210,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9195-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9195-2013, 2013

Light-absorbing carbon in Europe – measurement and modelling, with a focus on residential wood combustion emissions

J. Genberg, H. A. C. Denier van der Gon, D. Simpson, E. Swietlicki, H. Areskoug, D. Beddows, D. Ceburnis, M. Fiebig, H. C. Hansson, R. M. Harrison, S. G. Jennings, S. Saarikoski, G. Spindler, A. J. H. Visschedijk, A. Wiedensohler, K. E. Yttri, and R. Bergström

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 8719–8738,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8719-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8719-2013, 2013

Recommendations for reporting "black carbon" measurements

A. Petzold, J. A. Ogren, M. Fiebig, P. Laj, S.-M. Li, U. Baltensperger, T. Holzer-Popp, S. Kinne, G. Pappalardo, N. Sugimoto, C. Wehrli, A. Wiedensohler, and X.-Y. Zhang

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 8365–8379,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8365-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8365-2013, 2013

Relating particle hygroscopicity and CCN activity to chemical composition during the HCCT-2010 field campaign

Z. J. Wu, L. Poulain, S. Henning, K. Dieckmann, W. Birmili, M. Merkel, D. van Pinxteren, G. Spindler, K. Müller, F. Stratmann, H. Herrmann, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 7983–7996,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7983-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7983-2013, 2013

Towards a better understanding of the origins, chemical composition and aging of oxygenated organic aerosols: case study of a Mediterranean industrialized environment, Marseille

I. El Haddad, B. D'Anna, B. Temime-Roussel, M. Nicolas, A. Boreave, O. Favez, D. Voisin, J. Sciare, C. George, J.-L. Jaffrezo, H. Wortham, and N. Marchand

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 7875–7894,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7875-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7875-2013, 2013

Particle hygroscopicity during atmospheric new particle formation events: implications for the chemical species contributing to particle growth

Z. Wu, W. Birmili, L. Poulain, Z. Wang, M. Merkel, B. Fahlbusch, D. van Pinxteren, H. Herrmann, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 6637–6646,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-6637-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-6637-2013, 2013

Black carbon physical properties and mixing state in the European megacity Paris

M. Laborde, M. Crippa, T. Tritscher, Z. Jurányi, P. F. Decarlo, B. Temime-Roussel, N. Marchand, S. Eckhardt, A. Stohl, U. Baltensperger, A. S. H. Prévôt, E. Weingartner, and M. Gysel

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 5831–5856,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5831-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5831-2013, 2013

Formation of organic aerosol in the Paris region during the MEGAPOLI summer campaign: evaluation of the volatility-basis-set approach within the CHIMERE model

Q. J. Zhang, M. Beekmann, F. Drewnick, F. Freutel, J. Schneider, M. Crippa, A. S. H. Prevot, U. Baltensperger, L. Poulain, A. Wiedensohler, J. Sciare, V. Gros, A. Borbon, A. Colomb, V. Michoud, J.-F. Doussin, H. A. C. Denier van der Gon, M. Haeffelin, J.-C. Dupont, G. Siour, H. Petetin, B. Bessagnet, S. N. Pandis, A. Hodzic, O. Sanchez, C. Honoré, and O. Perrussel

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 5767–5790,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5767-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5767-2013, 2013

Evolution of particle composition in CLOUD nucleation experiments

H. Keskinen, A. Virtanen, J. Joutsensaari, G. Tsagkogeorgas, J. Duplissy, S. Schobesberger, M. Gysel, F. Riccobono, J. G. Slowik, F. Bianchi, T. Yli-Juuti, K. Lehtipalo, L. Rondo, M. Breitenlechner, A. Kupc, J. Almeida, A. Amorim, E. M. Dunne, A. J. Downard, S. Ehrhart, A. Franchin, M.K. Kajos, J. Kirkby, A. Kürten, T. Nieminen, V. Makhmutov, S. Mathot, P. Miettinen, A. Onnela, T. Petäjä, A. Praplan, F. D. Santos, S. Schallhart, M. Sipilä, Y. Stozhkov, A. Tomé, P. Vaattovaara, D. Wimmer, A. Prevot, J. Dommen, N. M. Donahue, R.C. Flagan, E. Weingartner, Y. Viisanen, I. Riipinen, A. Hansel, J. Curtius, M. Kulmala, D. R. Worsnop, U. Baltensperger, H. Wex, F. Stratmann, and A. Laaksonen

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 5587–5600,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5587-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5587-2013, 2013

Long term measurements of aerosol optical properties at a primary forest site in Amazonia

L. V. Rizzo, P. Artaxo, T. Müller, A. Wiedensohler, M. Paixão, G. G. Cirino, A. Arana, E. Swietlicki, P. Roldin, E. O. Fors, K. T. Wiedemann, L. S. M. Leal, and M. Kulmala

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 2391–2413,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-2391-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-2391-2013, 2013

A comprehensive emission inventory of biogenic volatile organic compounds in Europe: improved seasonality and land-cover

D. C. Oderbolz, S. Aksoyoglu, J. Keller, I. Barmpadimos, R. Steinbrecher, C. A. Skjøth, C. Plaß-Dülmer, and A. S. H. Prévôt

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 1689–1712,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1689-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1689-2013, 2013

Investigation of the connections between atmospheric new particle formation and organics at an urban site of Beijing

Z. B. Wang, M. Hu, Z. J. Wu, D. L. Yue, J. Zheng, R. Y. Zhang, X. Y. Pei, P. Paasonen, M. Dal Maso, M. Boy, and A. Wiedensohler

Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-13-3419-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-13-3419-2013, 2013

Revised manuscript not accepted

Wintertime aerosol chemical composition and source apportionment of the organic fraction in the metropolitan area of Paris

M. Crippa, P. F. DeCarlo, J. G. Slowik, C. Mohr, M. F. Heringa, R. Chirico, L. Poulain, F. Freutel, J. Sciare, J. Cozic, C. F. Di Marco, M. Elsasser, J. B. Nicolas, N. Marchand, E. Abidi, A. Wiedensohler, F. Drewnick, J. Schneider, S. Borrmann, E. Nemitz, R. Zimmermann, J.-L. Jaffrezo, A. S. H. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 961–981,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-961-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-961-2013, 2013

Aerosol particle measurements at three stationary sites in the megacity of Paris during summer 2009: meteorology and air mass origin dominate aerosol particle composition and size distribution

F. Freutel, J. Schneider, F. Drewnick, S.-L. von der Weiden-Reinmüller, M. Crippa, A. S. H. Prévôt, U. Baltensperger, L. Poulain, A. Wiedensohler, J. Sciare, R. Sarda-Estève, J. F. Burkhart, S. Eckhardt, A. Stohl, V. Gros, A. Colomb, V. Michoud, J. F. Doussin, A. Borbon, M. Haeffelin, Y. Morille, M. Beekmann, and S. Borrmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 933–959,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-933-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-933-2013, 2013

Modeling secondary organic aerosol in an urban area: application to Paris, France

F. Couvidat, Y. Kim, K. Sartelet, C. Seigneur, N. Marchand, and J. Sciare

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 983–996,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-983-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-983-2013, 2013

Effect of photochemical ageing on the ice nucleation properties of diesel and wood burning particles

C. Chou, Z. A. Kanji, O. Stetzer, T. Tritscher, R. Chirico, M. F. Heringa, E. Weingartner, A. S. H. Prévôt, U. Baltensperger, and U. Lohmann

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 761–772,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-761-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-761-2013, 2013

Aerosol decadal trends – Part 2: In-situ aerosol particle number concentrations at GAW and ACTRIS stations

A. Asmi, M. Collaud Coen, J. A. Ogren, E. Andrews, P. Sheridan, A. Jefferson, E. Weingartner, U. Baltensperger, N. Bukowiecki, H. Lihavainen, N. Kivekäs, E. Asmi, P. P. Aalto, M. Kulmala, A. Wiedensohler, W. Birmili, A. Hamed, C. O'Dowd, S. G Jennings, R. Weller, H. Flentje, A. M. Fjaeraa, M. Fiebig, C. L. Myhre, A. G. Hallar, E. Swietlicki, A. Kristensson, and P. Laj

Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 895–916,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-895-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-895-2013, 2013

Related subject area

Subject: Aerosols | Technique: In Situ Measurement | Topic: Instruments and Platforms

In situ volcanic ash sampling and aerosol–gas analysis based on UAS technologies (AeroVolc)

Simon Thivet, Gholamhossein Bagheri, Przemyslaw M. Kornatowski, Allan Fries, Jonathan Lemus, Riccardo Simionato, Carolina Díaz-Vecino, Eduardo Rossi, Taishi Yamada, Simona Scollo, and Costanza Bonadonna

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2803–2824,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2803-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2803-2025, 2025

Short summary

This work presents an innovative way of sampling and analyzing volcanic clouds using an unoccupied aircraft system (UAS). The UAS can reach hazardous environments to sample volcanic particles and measure in situ key parameters, such as the atmospheric concentration of volcanic aerosols and gases. Acquired data bridge the gap between the existing approaches of ground sampling and remote sensing, thereby contributing to the understanding of volcanic cloud dispersion and impact.

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A solid-state infrared laser for two-step desorption–ionization processes in single-particle mass spectrometry

Marco Schmidt, Haseeb Hakkim, Lukas Anders, Aleksandrs Kalamašņikovs, Thomas Kröger-Badge, Robert Irsig, Norbert Graf, Reinhard Kelnberger, Johannes Passig, and Ralf Zimmermann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2425–2437,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2425-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2425-2025, 2025

Short summary

Laser desorption of individual particles prior to ionization is the key to reveal their organic composition. The CO₂ lasers required are bulky and maintenance-intensive, limiting their use in the field. We have developed a compact solid-state IR laser that is easily aligned with the particle beam. Mass spectra and hit rates are similar to those of the CO₂ laser. For combined characterization of organic and inorganic particle compositions, both lasers are superior to conventional single UV pulses.

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CIAO main upgrade: building up an ACTRIS-compliant aerosol in situ laboratory

Teresa Laurita, Alessandro Mauceri, Francesco Cardellicchio, Emilio Lapenna, Benedetto De Rosa, Serena Trippetta, Michail Mytilinaios, Davide Amodio, Aldo Giunta, Ermann Ripepi, Canio Colangelo, Nikolaos Papagiannopoulos, Francesca Morrongiello, Claudio Dema, Simone Gagliardi, Carmela Cornacchia, Rosa Maria Petracca Altieri, Aldo Amodeo, Marco Rosoldi, Donato Summa, Gelsomina Pappalardo, and Lucia Mona

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2373–2396,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2373-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2373-2025, 2025

Short summary

This paper provides an overview of the CIAO Observatory in southern Italy, focusing on the upgrade of its aerosol in situ laboratory in compliance with ACTRIS standard operating procedures. The aim is to provide the aerosol research community with technical details and practical guidance for establishing an in situ aerosol observational site. The paper also discusses the importance of combining in situ and remote sensing measurements for a comprehensive understanding of atmospheric processes.

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STRAS: a new high-time-resolution aerosol sampler for particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis

Silvia Nava, Roberta Vecchi, Paolo Prati, Vera Bernardoni, Laura Cadeo, Giulia Calzolai, Luca Carraresi, Carlo Cialdai, Massimo Chiari, Federica Crova, Alice Forello, Cosimo Fratticioli, Fabio Giardi, Marco Manetti, Dario Massabò, Federico Mazzei, Luca Repetto, Gianluigi Valli, Virginia Vernocchi, and Franco Lucarelli

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2137–2147,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2137-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2137-2025, 2025

Short summary

The new high-time-resolution sampler STRAS has been designed, developed and tested. It enables automatic sequential sampling of up to 168 hourly samples of PM₁₀, PM_2.5 or PM₁. It has been conceived for subsequent elemental composition analysis (from Na to Pb) by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE), but optical techniques may also be applied to measure black and brown carbon. Its use combined with other high-temporal-resolution instrumentation can provide complete chemical speciation of aerosols on an hourly basis.

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The Flying Laboratory FLab: development and application of a UAS to measure aerosol particles and trace gases in the lower troposphere

Lasse Moormann, Thomas Böttger, Philipp Schuhmann, Luis Valero, Friederike Fachinger, and Frank Drewnick

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1441–1459,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1441-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1441-2025, 2025

Short summary

The drone-based Flying Laboratory FLab was developed to simultaneously measure aerosol (number concentration, size distribution, and black carbon), trace gas (O₃, CO₂), and meteorological variables. FLab was characterized in the field regarding limitations and biases due to different flight maneuvers. Two application cases are presented: analysis of the development of the lowermost troposphere (up to 300 m) and successfully bridging ground-based and aircraft- and radiosonde-based measurements.

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The T-Bird – A new aircraft-towed instrument platform to measure turbulence and aerosol properties close to the surface: Introduction to the aerosol measurement system

Zsófia Jurányi, Christof Lüpkes, Frank Stratmann, Jörg Hartmann, Jonas Schaefer, Anna-Marie Jörss, Alexander Schulz, Bruno Wetzel, David Simon, Eduard Gebhard, Maximilian Stöhr, Paula Hofmann, Dirk Kalmbach, Sarah Grawe, and Andreas Herber

EGUsphere,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-619,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-619, 2025

Short summary

Understanding the lowest layers of the atmosphere is crucial for climate research, especially in the Arctic. Our study introduces the T-Bird, an aircraft-towed platform designed to measure turbulence and aerosol properties at extremely low altitudes. Traditional aircraft cannot access this region, making the T-Bird a breakthrough for capturing critical atmospheric data. Its first deployment over the Arctic demonstrated its potential to improve our understanding of polar processes.

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Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM)

Darren Cheng, Stavros Amanatidis, Gregory S. Lewis, and Coty N. Jen

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 197–210,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-197-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-197-2025, 2025

Short summary

This study describes a new method, the Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM), to measure sub-3 nm size distribution at high time resolution and sensitivity. The CPC FARM is compared to traditionally used particle mobility sizers during a new particle formation campaign to study rapidly changing sub-3 nm particles in Pittsburgh, PA.

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Performance evaluation of an online monitor based on X-ray fluorescence for detecting elemental concentrations in ambient particulate matter

Ivonne Trebs, Céline Lett, Andreas Krein, Erika Matsumoto Kawaguchi, and Jürgen Junk

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6791–6805,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6791-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6791-2024, 2024

Short summary

This study explores the effectiveness of the Horiba PX-375 monitor for analysing the elemental composition of airborne particulate matter (PM). Understanding this composition of PM is important for identifying its sources, assessing potential health risks, and developing strategies to reduce air pollution. The PX-375 monitor proved to be a valuable tool for ongoing air quality monitoring studies and could be particularly useful as pollution levels and sources change in the future.

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Deriving the hygroscopicity of ambient particles using low-cost optical particle counters

Wei-Chieh Huang, Hui-Ming Hung, Ching-Wei Chu, Wei-Chun Hwang, and Shih-Chun Candice Lung

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6073–6084,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6073-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6073-2024, 2024

Short summary

This study investigates aerosol properties crucial for health, cloud formation, and climate impact. Employing a low-cost sensor system, we assess hygroscopicity of particulate matter (PM) and the ability to influence cloud formation to improve the reported PM concentrations from low-cost sensors. The study introduces an alternate methodology for assessing aerosol hygroscopicity, offering insights into atmospheric science, air quality, and cloud dynamics.

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A novel aerosol filter sampler for measuring the vertical distribution of ice-nucleating particles via fixed-wing uncrewed aerial vehicles

Alexander Julian Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, David Brus, Konstantinos-Matthaios Doulgeris, Zoé Brasseur, Matthew Boyer, Joel Kuula, Thomas Leisner, and Ottmar Möhler

Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss.,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-120,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-120, 2024

Revised manuscript accepted for AMT

Short summary

Clouds and aerosol are important for weather and climate. Typically, pure water cloud droplets stay liquid until around -35 °C, unless they come into contact with ice-nucleating particles (INPs). INPs are a rare subset of aerosol particles. Using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), it is possible to collect aerosol particles and analyse them on their ice-nucleating ability. This study describes the test and validation of a sampling setup that can be used to collect aerosol particles onto a filter.

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Simulations of the collection of mesospheric dust particles with a rocket instrument

Adrien Pineau, Henriette Trollvik, Herman Greaker, Sveinung Olsen, Yngve Eilertsen, and Ingrid Mann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3843–3861,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3843-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3843-2024, 2024

Short summary

The mesosphere, part of the upper atmosphere, contains small solid dust particles, mostly made up of material from interplanetary space. We are preparing an experiment to collect such particles during a rocket flight. A new instrument has been designed and numerical simulations have been performed to investigate the airflow nearby as well as its dust collection efficiency. The collected dust particles will be further analyzed in the laboratory in order to study their chemical composition.

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Characterisation of particle single-scattering albedo with a modified airborne dual-wavelength CAPS monitor

Chenjie Yu, Edouard Pangui, Kevin Tu, Mathieu Cazaunau, Maxime Feingesicht, Landsheere Xavier, Thierry Bourrianne, Vincent Michoud, Christopher Cantrell, Timothy B. Onasch, Andrew Freedman, and Paola Formenti

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3419–3437,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3419-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3419-2024, 2024

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To meet the requirements for measuring aerosol optical properties on airborne platforms and conducting dual-wavelength measurements, we introduced A2S2, an airborne dual-wavelength cavity-attenuated phase-shift single monitor. This study reports the results in the laboratory and an aircraft campaign over Paris and its surrounding regions. The results demonstrate A2S2's reliability in measuring aerosol optical properties at both wavelengths and its suitability for future aircraft campaigns.

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Use of an uncrewed aerial system to investigate aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing effects in the marine atmosphere

Patricia K. Quinn, Timothy S. Bates, Derek J. Coffman, James E. Johnson, and Lucia M. Upchurch

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3157–3170,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3157-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3157-2024, 2024

Short summary

An uncrewed aerial observing system has been developed for the measurement of vertical profiles of aerosol and cloud properties that affect Earth's radiation balance. The system was successfully deployed from a ship and from a coastal site and flown autonomously up to 3050 m and for 4.5 h. These results indicate the potential of the observing system to make routine, operational flights from ships and land to characterize aerosol interactions with radiation and clouds.

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Characterization of the airborne aerosol inlet and transport system used during the A-LIFE aircraft field experiment

Manuel Schöberl, Maximilian Dollner, Josef Gasteiger, Petra Seibert, Anne Tipka, and Bernadett Weinzierl

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2761–2776,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2761-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2761-2024, 2024

Short summary

Transporting a representative aerosol sample to instrumentation inside a research aircraft remains a challenge due to losses or enhancements of particles in the aerosol sampling system. Here, we present sampling efficiencies and the cutoff diameter for the DLR Falcon aerosol sampling system as a function of true airspeed by comparing the in-cabin and the out-cabin particle number size distributions observed during the A-LIFE aircraft mission.

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Large-scale automated emission measurement of individual vehicles with point sampling

Markus Knoll, Martin Penz, Hannes Juchem, Christina Schmidt, Denis Pöhler, and Alexander Bergmann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2481–2505,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2481-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2481-2024, 2024

Short summary

Exhaust emissions from combustion-based vehicles are negatively affecting human health and our environment. In particular, a small share (< 20 %) of poorly maintained or tampered vehicles are responsible for the majority (60 %–90 %) of traffic-related emissions. The emissions from vehicles are currently not properly monitored during their lifetime. We present a roadside measurement technique, calledpoint sampling, which can be used to monitor vehicle emissions throughout their life cycle.

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Development of a cascade impactor optimized for size-fractionated analysis of aerosol metal content by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF)

Claudio Crazzolara and Andreas Held

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2183–2194,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2183-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2183-2024, 2024

Short summary

Our paper describes the development of a collection device that can be used to collect airborne dust particles classified according to their size. This collection device is optimized for a special analysis method based on X-ray fluorescence so that particles can be collected from the air and analyzed with high sensitivity. This enables the determination of the content of heavy metals in the airborne particle fraction, which are of health-relevant significance.

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Modular Multiplatform Compatible Air Measurement System (MoMuCAMS): a new modular platform for boundary layer aerosol and trace gas vertical measurements in extreme environments

Roman Pohorsky, Andrea Baccarini, Julie Tolu, Lenny H. E. Winkel, and Julia Schmale

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 731–754,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-731-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-731-2024, 2024

Short summary

This manuscript presents a new tethered-balloon-based platform for in situ vertical measurements of aerosols and trace gases in the lower atmosphere of polar and alpine regions. The system can host various instrumental setups to target different research questions and features new instruments, in particular a miniaturized scanning electrical mobility spectrometer, deployed for the first time in a tethered balloon.

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Two new multirotor uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) for glaciogenic cloud seeding and aerosol measurements within the CLOUDLAB project

Anna J. Miller, Fabiola Ramelli, Christopher Fuchs, Nadja Omanovic, Robert Spirig, Huiying Zhang, Ulrike Lohmann, Zamin A. Kanji, and Jan Henneberger

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 601–625,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-601-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-601-2024, 2024

Short summary

We present a method for aerosol and cloud research using two uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). The UAVs have a propeller heating mechanism that allows flights in icing conditions, which has so far been a limitation for cloud research with UAVs. One UAV burns seeding flares, producing a plume of particles that causes ice formation in supercooled clouds. The second UAV measures aerosol size distributions and is used for measuring the seeding plume or for characterizing the boundary layer.

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Real-time pollen identification using holographic imaging and fluorescence measurements

Sophie Erb, Elias Graf, Yanick Zeder, Simone Lionetti, Alexis Berne, Bernard Clot, Gian Lieberherr, Fiona Tummon, Pascal Wullschleger, and Benoît Crouzy

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 441–451,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-441-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-441-2024, 2024

Short summary

In this study, we focus on an automatic bioaerosol measurement instrument and investigate the impact of using its fluorescence measurement for pollen identification. The fluorescence signal is used together with a pair of images from the same instrument to identify single pollen grains via neural networks. We test whether considering fluorescence as a supplementary input improves the pollen identification performance by comparing three different neural networks.

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Assessing potential indicators of aerosol wet scavenging during long-range transport

Miguel Ricardo A. Hilario, Avelino F. Arellano, Ali Behrangi, Ewan C. Crosbie, Joshua P. DiGangi, Glenn S. Diskin, Michael A. Shook, Luke D. Ziemba, and Armin Sorooshian

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 37–55,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-37-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-37-2024, 2024

Short summary

Wet scavenging strongly influences aerosol lifetime and interactions but is a large uncertainty in global models. We present a method to identify meteorological variables relevant for estimating wet scavenging. During long-range transport over the tropical western Pacific, relative humidity and the frequency of humid conditions are better predictors of scavenging than precipitation. This method can be applied to other regions, and our findings can inform scavenging parameterizations in models.

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Next-generation ice-nucleating particle sampling on board aircraft: characterization of the High-volume flow aERosol particle filter sAmpler (HERA)

Sarah Grawe, Conrad Jentzsch, Jonas Schaefer, Heike Wex, Stephan Mertes, and Frank Stratmann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4551–4570,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4551-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4551-2023, 2023

Short summary

Measurements of ice-nucleating particle (INP) concentrations are valuable for the simulation of cloud properties. In recent years, filter sampling in combination with offline INP measurements has become increasingly popular. However, most sampling is ground-based, and the vertical transport of INPs is not well quantified. The High-volume flow aERosol particle filter sAmpler (HERA) for applications on board aircraft was developed to expand the sparse dataset of INP concentrations at cloud level.

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Development and characterization of the Portable Ice Nucleation Chamber 2 (PINCii)

Dimitri Castarède, Zoé Brasseur, Yusheng Wu, Zamin A. Kanji, Markus Hartmann, Lauri Ahonen, Merete Bilde, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Jan B. C. Pettersson, Berko Sierau, Olaf Stetzer, Frank Stratmann, Birgitta Svenningsson, Erik Swietlicki, Quynh Thu Nguyen, Jonathan Duplissy, and Erik S. Thomson

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3881–3899,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3881-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3881-2023, 2023

Short summary

Clouds play a key role in Earth’s climate by influencing the surface energy budget. Certain types of atmospheric aerosols, called ice-nucleating particles (INPs), induce the formation of ice in clouds and, thus, often initiate precipitation formation. The Portable Ice Nucleation Chamber 2 (PINCii) is a new instrument developed to study ice formation and to conduct ambient measurements of INPs, allowing us to investigate the sources and properties of the atmospheric aerosols that can act as INPs.

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The four-wavelength Photoacoustic Aerosol Absorption Spectrometer (PAAS-4λ)

Franz Martin Schnaiter, Claudia Linke, Eija Asmi, Henri Servomaa, Antti-Pekka Hyvärinen, Sho Ohata, Yutaka Kondo, and Emma Järvinen

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2753–2769,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2753-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2753-2023, 2023

Short summary

Light-absorbing particles from combustion processes are important contributors to climate warming. Their highly variable spectral light absorption properties need to be monitored in the field. Commonly used methods show measurement artefacts that are difficult to correct. We introduce a new instrument that is based on the photoacoustic effect. Long-term operation in the Finnish Arctic demonstrates the applicability of the new instrument for unattended light absorption monitoring.

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Improved counting statistics of an ultrafine differential mobility particle size spectrometer system

Dominik Stolzenburg, Tiia Laurila, Pasi Aalto, Joonas Vanhanen, Tuukka Petäjä, and Juha Kangasluoma

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2471–2483,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2471-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2471-2023, 2023

Short summary

Size-distribution measurements of ultrafine particles are of special interest as they can be used to estimate the atmospheric significance of new particle formation, a process which is thought to influence the global climate. Here we show that improved counting statistics in size-distribution measurements through the usage of higher sampling flows can significantly reduce the uncertainties in such calculations.

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Performance evaluation of the Alphasense OPC-N3 and Plantower PMS5003 sensor in measuring dust events in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah

Kamaljeet Kaur and Kerry E. Kelly

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2455–2470,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2455-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2455-2023, 2023

Short summary

We evaluated the AlphaSense OPC-N3 and PMS5003 compared to federal equivalent method (FEM) PM₁₀ measurements in the Salt Lake Valley during five dust events. Before correction, the OPC-N3 agreed well, but the PMS PM₁₀ measurements correlated poorly with the FEM. After correcting the PMS with a PM_2.5 / PM₁₀ ratio-based factor, the PMS PM₁₀ correlations improved significantly. This suggests the possibility of better resolved spatial estimates of PM₁₀ using PMS measurements and PM_2.5 / PM₁₀ ratios.

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Source apportionment of black carbon and combustion-related CO₂ for the determination of source-specific emission factors

Balint Alfoldy, Asta Gregorič, Matic Ivančič, Irena Ježek, and Martin Rigler

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 135–152,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-135-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-135-2023, 2023

Short summary

Atmospheric concentrations and source apportionment (SA) of black carbon (BC) and CO₂ were determined in an urban environment during a heating season. BC particles were attributed to two major sources: traffic and heating. The BC SA was implemented by an Aethalometer model used for the SA of CO₂ supposing that the source-specific CO₂ components are correlated with the corresponding BC. Source-specific emission factors were determined as a ratio of corresponding BC and CO₂ components.

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CAMP: an instrumented platform for balloon-borne aerosol particle studies in the lower atmosphere

Christian Pilz, Sebastian Düsing, Birgit Wehner, Thomas Müller, Holger Siebert, Jens Voigtländer, and Michael Lonardi

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6889–6905,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6889-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6889-2022, 2022

Short summary

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New method to determine black carbon mass size distribution

Weilun Zhao, Gang Zhao, Ying Li, Song Guo, Nan Ma, Lizi Tang, Zirui Zhang, and Chunsheng Zhao

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6807–6817,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6807-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6807-2022, 2022

Short summary

A new method to determine black carbon mass size distribution (BCMSD) was proposed using the size-resolved absorption coefficient measured by an aerodynamic aerosol classifier in tandem with an aethalometer. This new method fills the gap in the high-time-resolution measurement of BCMSD ranging from upper submicron particle sizes to larger than 1 µm. This method can be applied to field measurement of BCMSD extensively for better understanding BC aging and better estimating the BC climate effect.

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The realization of autonomous, aircraft-based, real-time aerosol mass spectrometry in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

Antonis Dragoneas, Sergej Molleker, Oliver Appel, Andreas Hünig, Thomas Böttger, Markus Hermann, Frank Drewnick, Johannes Schneider, Ralf Weigel, and Stephan Borrmann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5719–5742,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5719-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5719-2022, 2022

Short summary

The ERICA is a specially designed aerosol particle mass spectrometer for in situ, real-time chemical composition analysis of aerosols. It can operate completely autonomously, in the absence of an instrument operator. Its design has enabled its operation under harsh conditions, like those experienced in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, aboard unpressurized high-altitude research aircraft. The instrument has successfully participated in several aircraft operations around the world.

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A study on the performance of low-cost sensors for source apportionment at an urban background site

Dimitrios Bousiotis, David C. S. Beddows, Ajit Singh, Molly Haugen, Sebastián Diez, Pete M. Edwards, Adam Boies, Roy M. Harrison, and Francis D. Pope

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4047–4061,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4047-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4047-2022, 2022

Short summary

In the last decade, low-cost sensors have revolutionised the field of air quality monitoring. This paper extends the ability of low-cost sensors to not only measure air pollution, but also to understand where the pollution comes from. This "source apportionment" is a critical step in air quality management to allow for the mitigation of air pollution. The techniques developed in this paper have the potential for great impact in both research and industrial applications.

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A dual-wavelength photothermal aerosol absorption monitor: design, calibration and performance

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3805–3825,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3805-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3805-2022, 2022

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A high-transmission axial ion mobility classifier for mass–mobility measurements of atmospheric ions

Markus Leiminger, Lukas Fischer, Sophia Brilke, Julian Resch, Paul Martin Winkler, Armin Hansel, and Gerhard Steiner

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3705–3720,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3705-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3705-2022, 2022

Short summary

We developed an axial ion mobility classifier coupled to an atmospheric-pressure interface time-of-flight (APi-TOF) mass spectrometer to measure size-segregated atmospheric ions. We characterize the performance of the novel instrument with bipolar-electrospray-generated ion mobility standards and compare the results with CFD simulations and a simplified numerical particle-tracking model. Ultimately, we report first mass–mobility measurements of atmospheric ions in Innsbruck, Austria.

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Design, characterization, and first field deployment of a novel aircraft-based aerosol mass spectrometer combining the laser ablation and flash vaporization techniques

Andreas Hünig, Oliver Appel, Antonis Dragoneas, Sergej Molleker, Hans-Christian Clemen, Frank Helleis, Thomas Klimach, Franziska Köllner, Thomas Böttger, Frank Drewnick, Johannes Schneider, and Stephan Borrmann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2889–2921,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2889-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2889-2022, 2022

Short summary

We have serially combined the two well-established methods for in situ real-time measurement of fine particle chemical composition, the single-particle laser ablation method and the flash evaporation with electron impact ionization method, into a novel instrument. Here we present the design; instrument characteristics, as derived from laboratory and field measurements; and results from the first field deployment during the 2017 StratoClim aircraft campaign.

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An instrument for direct measurement of emissions: cooling tower example

Christopher D. Wallis, Mason D. Leandro, Patrick Y. Chuang, and Anthony S. Wexler

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2547–2556,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2547-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2547-2022, 2022

Short summary

Measuring emissions from stacks requires techniques to address a broad range of conditions and measurement challenges. Here we describe an instrument package held by a crane above a stack to characterize both wet droplet and dried aerosol emissions from cooling tower spray drift in situ. The instrument package characterizes the velocity, size distribution, and concentration of the wet droplet emissions and the mass concentration and elemental composition of the dried PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ emissions.

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The Aerosol Research Observation Station (AEROS)

Karin Ardon-Dryer, Mary C. Kelley, Xia Xueting, and Yuval Dryer

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2345–2360,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2345-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2345-2022, 2022

Short summary

The Aerosol Research Observation Station (AEROS) located in West Texas was designed to continuously measure atmospheric particles, including different particulate matter sizes, total particle number concentration, and size distribution. This article provides a description of AEROS as well as an intercomparison of the different instruments using laboratory and atmospheric particles, showing similar concentration as well to distinguish between various pollution events (natural vs. anthropogenic).

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Laser imaging nephelometer for aircraft deployment

Adam T. Ahern, Frank Erdesz, Nicholas L. Wagner, Charles A. Brock, Ming Lyu, Kyra Slovacek, Richard H. Moore, Elizabeth B. Wiggins, and Daniel M. Murphy

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 1093–1105,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1093-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1093-2022, 2022

Short summary

Particles in the atmosphere play a significant role in climate change by scattering light back into space, reducing the amount of energy available to be absorbed by greenhouse gases. We built a new instrument to measure what direction light is scattered by particles, e.g., wildfire smoke. This is important because, depending on the angle of the sun, some particles scatter light into space (cooling the planet), but some light is also scattered towards the Earth (not cooling the planet).

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A new method to quantify particulate sodium and potassium salts (nitrate, chloride, and sulfate) by thermal desorption aerosol mass spectrometry

Yuya Kobayashi and Nobuyuki Takegawa

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 833–844,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-833-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-833-2022, 2022

Short summary

We propose a new method to quantify particulate sodium and potassium salts (nitrate, chloride, and sulfate) by using a refractory aerosol thermal desorption mass spectrometer (rTDMS). The combination of a graphite particle collector and a carbon dioxide laser enables high desorption temperature. Laboratory experiments showed that major ion signals originating from sodium or potassium salts were clearly detected, associated with the increase in the desorption temperature by laser heating.

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Evaluating the PurpleAir monitor as an aerosol light scattering instrument

James R. Ouimette, William C. Malm, Bret A. Schichtel, Patrick J. Sheridan, Elisabeth Andrews, John A. Ogren, and W. Patrick Arnott

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 655–676,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-655-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-655-2022, 2022

Short summary

We show that the low-cost PurpleAir sensor can be characterized as a cell-reciprocal nephelometer. At two very different locations (Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii and the Table Mountain rural site in Colorado), the PurpleAir measurements are highly correlated with the submicrometer aerosol scattering coefficient measured by a research-grade integrating nephelometer. These results imply that, with care, PurpleAir data may be used to evaluate climate and air quality models.

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Undersizing of aged African biomass burning aerosol by an ultra-high-sensitivity aerosol spectrometer

Steven G. Howell, Steffen Freitag, Amie Dobracki, Nikolai Smirnow, and Arthur J. Sedlacek III

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7381–7404,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7381-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7381-2021, 2021

Short summary

Small particles in the air have important effects on visibility, clouds, and human health. For the ORACLES project we got a new particle sizing instrument that is fast, works over the most important particle sizes, and avoids some of the issues that plague other optical particle sizers. Unfortunately it sees some particles much smaller than they really are, likely because they heat up and evaporate. We show a crude correction and speculate why these particles heat up much more than expected.

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Evaluation methods for low-cost particulate matter sensors

Jeffrey K. Bean

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7369–7379,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7369-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7369-2021, 2021

Short summary

Understanding and improving the quality of data generated from low-cost air quality sensors are crucial steps in using these sensors. This work investigates how averaging time, choice of reference instrument, and the observation of higher pollutant concentrations can impact the perceived performance of low-cost sensors in an evaluation. The influence of these factors should be considered when comparing one sensor to another or determining if a sensor can produce data that fit a specific need.

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Simulation-aided characterization of a versatile water-based condensation particle counter for atmospheric airborne research

Fan Mei, Steven Spielman, Susanne Hering, Jian Wang, Mikhail S. Pekour, Gregory Lewis, Beat Schmid, Jason Tomlinson, and Maynard Havlicek

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7329–7340,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7329-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7329-2021, 2021

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This study focuses on understanding a versatile water-based condensation particle counter (vWCPC 3789) performance under various ambient pressure conditions (500–1000 hPa). A vWCPC has the advantage of avoiding health and safety concerns. However, its performance characterization under low pressure is rare but crucial for ensuring successful airborne deployment. This paper provides advanced knowledge of operating a vWCPC 3789 to capture the spatial variations of atmospheric aerosols.

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Development of an in situ dual-channel thermal desorption gas chromatography instrument for consistent quantification of volatile, intermediate-volatility and semivolatile organic compounds

Rebecca A. Wernis, Nathan M. Kreisberg, Robert J. Weber, Yutong Liang, John Jayne, Susanne Hering, and Allen H. Goldstein

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6533–6550,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6533-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6533-2021, 2021

Short summary

cTAG is a new scientific instrument that measures concentrations of organic chemicals in the atmosphere. cTAG is the first instrument capable of measuring small, light chemicals as well as heavier chemicals and everything in between on a single detector, every hour. In this work we explain how cTAG works and some of the tests we performed to verify that it works properly and reliably. We also present measurements of alkanes that suggest they have three dominant sources in a Bay Area suburb.

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Assessment of online water-soluble brown carbon measuring systems for aircraft sampling

Linghan Zeng, Amy P. Sullivan, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Jack Dibb, Eric Scheuer, Teresa L. Campos, Joseph M. Katich, Ezra Levin, Michael A. Robinson, and Rodney J. Weber

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6357–6378,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6357-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6357-2021, 2021

Short summary

Three online systems for measuring water-soluble brown carbon are compared. A mist chamber and two different particle-into-liquid samplers were deployed on separate research aircraft targeting wildfires and followed a similar detection method using a long-path liquid waveguide with a spectrometer to measure the light absorption from 300 to 700 nm. Detection limits, signal hysteresis and other sampling issues are compared, and further improvements of these liquid-based systems are provided.

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Characterizing the performance of a POPS miniaturized optical particle counter when operated on a quadcopter drone

Zixia Liu, Martin Osborne, Karen Anderson, Jamie D. Shutler, Andy Wilson, Justin Langridge, Steve H. L. Yim, Hugh Coe, Suresh Babu, Sreedharan K. Satheesh, Paquita Zuidema, Tao Huang, Jack C. H. Cheng, and James Haywood

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6101–6118,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6101-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6101-2021, 2021

Short summary

This paper first validates the performance of an advanced aerosol observation instrument POPS against a reference instrument and examines any biases introduced by operating it on a quadcopter drone. The results show the POPS performs relatively well on the ground. The impact of the UAV rotors on the POPS is small at low wind speeds, but when operating under higher wind speeds, larger discrepancies occur. It appears that the POPS measures sub-micron aerosol particles more accurately on the UAV.

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A low-cost monitor for simultaneous measurement of fine particulate matter and aerosol optical depth – Part 3: Automation and design improvements

Eric A. Wendt, Casey Quinn, Christian L'Orange, Daniel D. Miller-Lionberg, Bonne Ford, Jeffrey R. Pierce, John Mehaffy, Michael Cheeseman, Shantanu H. Jathar, David H. Hagan, Zoey Rosen, Marilee Long, and John Volckens

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6023–6038,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6023-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6023-2021, 2021

Short summary

Fine particulate matter air pollution is one of the leading contributors to adverse health outcomes on the planet. Here, we describe the design and validation of a low-cost, compact, and autonomous instrument capable of measuring particulate matter levels directly, via mass sampling, and optically, via mass and sunlight extinction measurements. We demonstrate the instrument's accuracy relative to reference measurements and its potential for community-level sampling.

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Rapid measurement of RH-dependent aerosol hygroscopic growth using a humidity-controlled fast integrated mobility spectrometer (HFIMS)

Jiaoshi Zhang, Steven Spielman, Yang Wang, Guangjie Zheng, Xianda Gong, Susanne Hering, and Jian Wang

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5625–5635,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5625-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5625-2021, 2021

Short summary

In this study, we present a newly developed instrument, the humidity-controlled fast integrated mobility spectrometer (HFIMS), for fast measurements of aerosol hygroscopic growth. The HFIMS can measure the distributions of particle hygroscopic growth factors at six diameters from 35 to 265 nm under five RH levels from 20 to 85 % within 25 min. The HFIMS significantly advances our capability of characterizing the hygroscopic growth of atmospheric aerosols over a wide range of relative humidities.

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Detection of ship plumes from residual fuel operation in emission control areas using single-particle mass spectrometry

Johannes Passig, Julian Schade, Robert Irsig, Lei Li, Xue Li, Zhen Zhou, Thomas Adam, and Ralf Zimmermann

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4171–4185,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4171-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4171-2021, 2021

Short summary

Ships are major sources of air pollution; however, monitoring of ship emissions outside harbours is a challenging task. We optimized single-particle mass spectrometry (SPMS) for the detection of bunker fuel emissions and demonstrate the detection of individual ship plumes from more than 10 km in distance. The approach works independently of background air pollution and also when ships use exhaust-cleaning scrubbers. We discuss the potential and limits of SPMS-based monitoring of ship plumes.

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Highly time-resolved characterization of carbonaceous aerosols using a two-wavelength Sunset thermal–optical carbon analyzer

Mengying Bao, Yan-Lin Zhang, Fang Cao, Yu-Chi Lin, Yuhang Wang, Xiaoyan Liu, Wenqi Zhang, Meiyi Fan, Feng Xie, Robert Cary, Joshua Dixon, and Lihua Zhou

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4053–4068,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4053-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4053-2021, 2021

Short summary

We introduce a two-wavelength method for brown C measurements with a modified Sunset carbon analyzer. We defined the enhanced concentrations and gave the possibility of providing an indicator of brown C. Compared with the strong local sources of organic and elemental C, we found that differences in EC mainly originated from regional transport. Biomass burning emissions significantly contributed to high differences in EC concentrations during the heavy biomass burning periods.

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Captive Aerosol Growth and Evolution (CAGE) chamber system to investigate particle growth due to secondary aerosol formation

Candice L. Sirmollo, Don R. Collins, Jordan M. McCormick, Cassandra F. Milan, Matthew H. Erickson, James H. Flynn, Rebecca J. Sheesley, Sascha Usenko, Henry W. Wallace, Alexander A. T. Bui, Robert J. Griffin, Matthew Tezak, Sean M. Kinahan, and Joshua L. Santarpia

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 3351–3370,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3351-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3351-2021, 2021

Short summary

The newly developed portable 1 m³ CAGE chamber systems were characterized using data acquired during a 2-month field study in 2016 in a forested area north of Houston, TX, USA. Concentrations of several oxidant and organic compounds measured in the chamber were found to closely agree with those calculated with a zero-dimensional model. By tracking the modes of injected monodisperse particles, a pattern change was observed for hourly averaged growth rates between late summer and early fall.

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Design and characterization of a new oxidation flow reactor for laboratory and long-term ambient studies

Ningjin Xu and Don R. Collins

Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 2891–2906,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2891-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2891-2021, 2021

Short summary

Oxidation flow reactors (OFRs) are frequently used to study atmospheric chemistry and aerosol formation by accelerating by up to 10 000 times the reactions that can take hours, days, or even weeks in the atmosphere. Here we present the design and evaluation of a new all-Teflon OFR. The computational, laboratory, and field use data we present demonstrate that the PFA OFR is suitable for a range of applications, including the study of rapidly changing ambient concentrations.

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The "dual-spot" Aethalometer: an improved measurement of aerosol black carbon with real-time loading compensation

L. Drinovec

G. Močnik

P. Zotter

A. S. H. Prévôt

C. Ruckstuhl

E. Coz

M. Rupakheti

J. Sciare

T. Müller

A. Wiedensohler

A. D. A. Hansen

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