Four years of highly time resolved measurements of elemental and organic carbon at a rural background site in Central Europe

Mbengue, Saliou; Fusek, Michal; Schwarz, Jaroslav; Vodička, Petr; Šmejkalová, Adéla Holubová; Holoubek, Ivan

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.03.056

Cited by 30 publications

(27 citation statements)

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“…These isotopes can provide unique insight into source emissions, along with physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere (Gensch et al, 2014;Kawamura et al, 2004) P. Vodička et al: Seasonal study of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition as well as historical atmospheric compositions (Dean et al, 2014). However, studies based on single-isotope analysis have their limitations (Meier-Augenstein and Kemp, 2012). These include an uncertainty when multiple sources or different processes are present, whose measured delta values may overlap (typically in the narrower δ 13 C range).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal study of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition in fine aerosols at a Central European rural background station

et al. 2019

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Abstract. A study of the stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of total carbon (TC) and the nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) of total nitrogen (TN) was carried out for fine aerosol particles (PM1) and was undertaken every 2 days with a 24 h sampling period at a rural background site in Košetice (Central Europe) from 27 September 2013 to 9 August 2014 (n=146). We found a seasonal pattern for both δ13C and δ15N. The seasonal variation in δ15N was characterized by lower values (average of 13.1±4.5 ‰) in winter and higher values (25.0±1.6 ‰) in summer. Autumn and spring were transition periods when the isotopic composition gradually changed due to the changing sources and ambient temperature. The seasonal variation in δ13C was less pronounced but more depleted in 13C in summer (-27.8±0.4 ‰) as compared to winter (-26.7±0.5 ‰). A comparative analysis with water-soluble ions, organic carbon, elemental carbon, trace gases and meteorological parameters (mainly ambient temperature) has shown major associations with the isotopic compositions, which has provided greater knowledge and understanding of the corresponding processes. A comparison of δ15N with NO3-, NH4+ and organic nitrogen (OrgN) revealed that although a higher content of NO3- was associated with a decrease in the δ15N of TN, NH4+ and OrgN caused increases. The highest concentrations of nitrate, mainly represented by NH4NO3 related to the emissions from biomass burning leading to an average δ15N of TN (13.3 ‰) in winter. During spring, the percentage of NO3- in PM1 decreased. An enrichment of 15N was probably driven by the equilibrium exchange between the gas and aerosol phases (NH3(g) ↔ NH4+(p)), which is supported by the increased ambient temperature. This equilibrium was suppressed in early summer when the molar ratios of NH4+/SO42- reached 2, and the nitrate partitioning in aerosol was negligible due to the increased ambient temperature. Summertime δ15N values were among the highest, suggesting the aging of ammonium sulfate and OrgN aerosols. Such aged aerosols can be coated by organics in which 13C enrichment takes place by the photooxidation process. This result was supported by a positive correlation of δ13C with ambient temperature and ozone, as observed in the summer season. During winter, we observed an event with the lowest δ15N and highest δ13C values. The winter event occurred in prevailing southeast air masses. Although the higher δ13C values probably originated from biomass-burning particles, the lowest δ15N values were probably associated with agriculture emissions of NH3 under low-temperature conditions (< 0 ∘C).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal study of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition in fine aerosols at a Central European rural background station

et al. 2019

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“…Utility of this type of analysis was also demonstrated for, e.g. the urban background station in Bari (Italy) [13], natural continental background station in Puy de Dôme (France), Schauinsland (Germany) and Sonnblick (Austria) [14], and the rural background station in Košetice (Czech Republic) [15]. [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparative analysis of air pollutant concentrations and inflow trajectories: a case study of selected cities in South-Eastern Poland

2018

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Abstract. The paper presents a comparison of air pollutant concentrations in three cities in South-Eastern Poland (Krakow, Tarnow and Rzeszow) using statistical analyses and backward trajectory modelling (the HYSPLIT model). The analyses were based on particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels as well as meteorological data from year 2017. The performed analyses revealed, among others, that the PM10 and SO2 concentrations in the air depend on the season of the year, while the NO2 concentrations are seasonally independent, which is mainly associated with emissions from road transport. Air quality in the analysed cities depends on local meteorological conditions and the structure of emission sources, including the inflowing background. The most unfavourable situation regarding high concentrations of PM10 and NO2 occurs in Krakow. For all analysed urban background stations very similar low SO2 air concentrations are observed which proves the decreasing significance of emissions from coal combustion sources.

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“…The closest main road is located approximately 1 km east of the sampling station, and one of the major Czech highways (40,756 cars/day, CSD, 2016 ) is approximately 6 km north and northeast. NAOK is affected by regional and long distance transported air masses, mainly associated with western and southeastern winds ( Dvorská et al, 2015 ; Mbengue et al, 2020 , Mbengue et al, 2018 ; Schwarz et al, 2016 ; Vodička et al, 2015 ; Zíková and Ždímal, 2013 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mass concentrations of EC and OC were measured from March 2013 to December 2017 using a semi-continuous thermal-optical organic/elemental carbon analyzer (Sunset Laboratories model 4) in accordance with the shortened EUSAAR-2 protocol ( Cavalli et al, 2010 ; Karanasiou et al, 2020 ). The measurement method is detailed in a previous study ( Mbengue et al, 2018 ). After being placed in the same container as the AE31, the OCEC analyzer was sampled every 4 h (including 20 min of OC/EC thermo-optical analysis) at a flow rate of 8.0 L min −1 through a PM 2.5 cyclone inlet at 4 m above the ground.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notably, the estimated E abs with the MRS is not affected by systematic MAC bias due to EC variability and B abs overestimation ( Wu et al, 2018 ). In the latter study, the performance of the MRS approach was investigated in response to the systematic MAC bias during a 1-year measurement campaign at a suburban site in the Pearl River Delta region of China, with EC concentrations four times higher (2.66 ± 2.27 μg m −3 ) than those measured at NAOK ( Mbengue et al, 2018 ). Only a small effect of EC variability and B abs overestimation on the E abs estimation was found ( Wu et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mass absorption cross-section and absorption enhancement from long term black and elemental carbon measurements: A rural background station in Central Europe

Mbengue

Zíková

Schwarz

et al. 2021

Science of The Total Environment

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Black carbon (BC) is a dominant aerosol light absorber, and its brown carbon (BrC) coating can enhance absorption and lead to uncertainties concerning the radiative forcing estimation. This study investigates the mass absorption cross-section of equivalent BC (MAC eBC ) during a long-term field measurement (2013–2017) at a rural Central European site. The MAC enhancement factor (E abs ) and the contribution of BrC coatings to the absorption coefficient (B abs ) were estimated by combining different approaches. The annual mean B abs and MAC eBC values decreased slightly over the measurement period associated with change in the submicron aerosol size distribution. Regardless of the wavelength, B abs exhibited clear seasonal and diurnal variations, with higher values in winter when a higher absorption Ångström exponent (1.4) was observed due to the local biomass burning (BB). In contrast, MAC eBC did not have a distinct temporal trend at 600 nm (7.84 ± 2.79 m 2 g −1 ), while it showed a seasonal trend at 370 nm with higher values in winter (15.64 ± 4.77 m 2 g −1 ). During this season, E abs_660 was 1.18 ± 0.27 and did not exhibit any clear wavelength dependence, despite the influence of BB. During the study period, BrC-attributed absorption was observed in 31% of the samples, with a contribution of up to 40% of total B abs . In summer, the E abs_660 increased to 1.59 ± 0.60, when a larger BC coating could be formed by secondary aerosol fractions. During this season, MAC eBC_660 and E abs_660 showed comparable source profiles that were mainly associated with aged air masses over central Europe, thereby supporting the fact that characteristics of coating materials formed during atmospheric aging are a major factor driving the MAC eBC_660 measured at the regional background site. Further field investigations of the composition of BC coatings would help to better understand and estimate uncertainties related to the radiative effect of aerosols.

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Four years of highly time resolved measurements of elemental and organic carbon at a rural background site in Central Europe

Cited by 30 publications

References 58 publications

Seasonal study of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition in fine aerosols at a Central European rural background station

Seasonal study of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition in fine aerosols at a Central European rural background station

A comparative analysis of air pollutant concentrations and inflow trajectories: a case study of selected cities in South-Eastern Poland

Mass absorption cross-section and absorption enhancement from long term black and elemental carbon measurements: A rural background station in Central Europe

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