Observations of new particle production in the atmosphere of a moderately polluted site in eastern England

Harrison, Roy M.; Grenfell, John Lee; Savage, Nick; Allen, Andrew G.; Clemitshaw, Kevin C.; Penkett, S. A.; Hewitt, C. N.; Davison, Brian

doi:10.1029/2000jd900086

Cited by 41 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Secondly, we used a so-called timeshift analysis, which compared the shape of two curves -sulphuric acid and the particle number concentration between 3 and 6 nm (N3 hereafter). A similar analysis has been used by Weber et al (1997) and Harrison et al (2000). In Fig.…”

Section: Growth Ratesmentioning

confidence: 87%

The contribution of sulphuric acid to atmospheric particle formation and growth: a comparison between boundary layers in Northern and Central Europe

et al. 2005

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Abstract. Atmospheric gaseous sulphuric acid was measured and its influence on particle formation and growth was investigated building on aerosol data. The measurements were part of the EU-project QUEST and took place at two different measurement sites in Northern and Central Europe (Hyytiälä, Finland, March-April 2003 and Heidelberg, Germany, March-April 2004). From a comprehensive data set including sulphuric acid, particle number size distributions and meteorological data, particle growth rates, particle formation rates and source rates of condensable vapors were inferred. Growth rates were determined in two different ways, from particle size distributions as well as from a so-called timeshift analysis. Moreover, correlations between sulphuric acid and particle number concentration between 3 and 6 nm were examined and the influence of air masses of different origin was investigated. Measured maximum concentrations of sulphuric acid were in the range from 1×10 6 to 16×10 6 cm −3 . The gaseous sulphuric acid lifetime with respect to condensation on aerosol particles ranged from 2 to 33 min in Hyytiälä and from 0.5 to 8 min in Heidelberg. Most calculated values (growth rates, formation rates, vapor source rates) were considerably higher in Central Europe (Heidelberg), due to the more polluted air and higher preexistent aerosol concentrations. Close correlations between H 2 SO 4 and nucleation mode particles (size range: 3-6 nm) were found on most days at both sites. The percentage contribution of sulphuric acid to particle growth was below 10% at both places and to initial growth below 20%. An air mass analysis indicated that at Heidelberg new particles were formed predominantly in air advected from southwesterly directions.

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Section: Growth Ratesmentioning

confidence: 87%

The contribution of sulphuric acid to atmospheric particle formation and growth: a comparison between boundary layers in Northern and Central Europe

et al. 2005

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“…These studies concluded that photochemistry is a governing process which involves formation of the hydroxyl radical (Harrison et al, 2000) and thus produces the nucleating and/or condensing species for the new particle formation and subsequent growth. Fig.…”

Section: Effect Of Meteorological Parameters On Particle Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Simplified Approach to Calculate Particle Growth Rate Due to Self-Coagulation, Scavenging and Condensation Using SMPS Measurements during a Particle Growth Event in New Delhi

Sarangi

Aggarwal

Gupta

2015

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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The scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) technique is a widely employed technique to measure the particle number size distribution, and thus calculate the particle total growth rate. However, growth due to individual atmospheric processes needs to be known precisely and accurately to better model the secondary aerosol distribution. In this study, we use simplified analytical formulas to calculate the growth rates due to self-coagulation, coagulation scavenging and condensation processes of particle size distribution (9-425 nm) measured using SMPS. Firstly, total growth rate is determined from the regression fit of SMPS data plotted between the geometric mean diameter (GMD) of particle size (nm) versus time (hour) measured during a particle growth event. The SMPS measurements were conducted during November-December 2011 in New Delhi. The particle growth event days and non-event days were classified according to the protocol discussed elsewhere. Assuming that the particle number size distribution of a growing population can be described by a unimodal distribution and particles are neutral in the population, we calculated the growth rate due to selfcoagulation (GR scoag ), which is proportional to the total number of particles in the mode and mode peak diameter. Similarly, assuming that particles with mode peak size 25 nm and above act as a coagulation sink and grow due to scavenging of newly formed nucleation range particles (< 12 nm), we calculated the coagulation scavenging growth rate (GR scav ) as a time derivative of the mode peak diameter, which is equivalent to the product of particle diameter and its coagulation sink. The condensation growth rate (GR cond ) is calculated based on the assumption that total growth rate is the summation of the growth resulting of three physical processes: self-coagulation, coagulation scavenging and condensation. During the study period, three event days were recorded at the measurement site. To explain the growth rate calculation approach, which is presented here in detail, we have taken SMPS data of one event day (November 4, 2011) as an example (two other event days are also briefly discussed). On November 4, the total average growth rate was found to be 15.4 ± 11 nm/h, while the average GR scoag , GR scav and GR cond were calculated to be 3.8 ± 0.4 (with min and max values of 2.9-5.1 nm/h), 8.0 ± 6 (0.6-19.3 nm/h) and 3.6 nm/h, respectively. These growth rates are comparable to those reported for other urban sites around the world using different methods. This approach is simple, and growth by individual processes can be calculated without knowing several other parameters, which include vapor concentration of atmospheric constituents, heterogeneous processes, and complex modeling procedures.

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“…in Mexico City (Dunn et al, 2004), in lower Fraser Valley (Mozurkewich et al, 2004), in eastern England (Harrison et al, 2000), in Athens, Greece, Marseille, France and New Delhi, India , in Milan, Italy (Baltensperger et al, 2002) and in Atlanta, Georgia (McMurry et al, 2005). These measurements have mainly been short term but also longer data series have been recorded in urban locations, including Atlanta, Georgia for 13 months (Woo et al, 2001), Birmingham, UK for one year (Alam et al, 2003), St. Louis, Missouri for one year (Shi and Qian, 2003), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for about one year (Stanier et al, 2004a, b), Beijing, China for one year (Wu et al, 2007) and Fresno Supersite, Central California, for almost two years (Watson et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nucleation and growth of new particles in Po Valley, Italy

et al. 2007

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Abstract. Aerosol number distribution measurements are reported at San Pietro Capofiume (SPC) station (44 • 39 N, 11 • 37 E) for the time period [2002][2003][2004][2005]. The station is located in Po Valley, the largest industrial, trading and agricultural area in Italy with a high population density. New particle formation was studied based on observations of the particle size distribution, meteorological and gas phase parameters. The nucleation events were classified according to the event clarity based on the particle number concentrations, and the particle formation and growth rates. Out of a total of 769 operational days from 2002 to 2005 clear events were detected on 36% of the days whilst 33% are clearly non-event days. The event frequency was high during spring and summer months with maximum values in May and July, whereas lower frequency was observed in winter and autumn months. The average particle formation and growth rates were estimated as ∼6 cm −3 s −1 and ∼7 nm h −1 , respectively. Such high growth and formation rates are typical for polluted areas. Temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, SO 2 and O 3 concentrations were on average higher on nucleation days than on non-event days, whereas relative and absolute humidity and NO 2 concentration were lower; however, seasonal differences were observed. Backtrajectory analysis suggests that during majority of nucleation event days, the air masses originate from northern to eastern directions. We also study previously developed nucleation event correlations with environmental variables and show that they predict Po Valley nucleation events with variable success.

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Observations of new particle production in the atmosphere of a moderately polluted site in eastern England

Cited by 41 publications

References 41 publications

The contribution of sulphuric acid to atmospheric particle formation and growth: a comparison between boundary layers in Northern and Central Europe

The contribution of sulphuric acid to atmospheric particle formation and growth: a comparison between boundary layers in Northern and Central Europe

A Simplified Approach to Calculate Particle Growth Rate Due to Self-Coagulation, Scavenging and Condensation Using SMPS Measurements during a Particle Growth Event in New Delhi

Nucleation and growth of new particles in Po Valley, Italy

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