Size distributions of non-volatile particle residuals (D&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;p&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;800 nm) at a rural site in Germany and relation to air mass origin

Engler, C.; Rose, D.; Wehner, B.; Wiedensohler, Alfred; Brüggemann, E.; Gnauk, T.; Spindler, Gerald; Tuch, Thomas; Birmili, W.

doi:10.5194/acp-7-5785-2007

Cited by 102 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Atmospheric observations at MPZ can be regarded as representative of regional background conditions in Central Europe, as shown by a multiple-site comparison within the GUAN (Birmili et al, 2009a). The air masses observed at MPZ tend to partition into Atlantic (westerly) air masses with low particle mass concentrations, and continental (easterly) air masses with high particle mass concentrations (Engler et al, 2007;Spindler et al, 2010). MPZ is part of the EUSAAR and GUAN networks.…”

Section: Eusaar -European Supersites For Atmospheric Aerosol Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Number size distributions and seasonality of submicron particles in Europe 2008–2009

et al. 2011

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Abstract.Two years of harmonized aerosol number size distribution data from 24 European field monitoring sites have been analysed. The results give a comprehensive overview of the European near surface aerosol particle number concentrations Correspondence to: A. Asmi (ari.asmi@helsinki.fi) and number size distributions between 30 and 500 nm of dry particle diameter. Spatial and temporal distribution of aerosols in the particle sizes most important for climate applications are presented. We also analyse the annual, weekly and diurnal cycles of the aerosol number concentrations, provide log-normal fitting parameters for median number size distributions, and give guidance notes for data users. Emphasis is placed on the usability of results within the aerosol modelling community.Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. We also show that the aerosol number concentrations of Aitken and accumulation mode particles (with 100 nm dry diameter as a cut-off between modes) are related, although there is significant variation in the ratios of the modal number concentrations. Different aerosol and station types are distinguished from this data and this methodology has potential for further categorization of stations aerosol number size distribution types.The European submicron aerosol was divided into characteristic types: Central European aerosol, characterized by single mode median size distributions, unimodal number concentration histograms and low variability in CCN-sized aerosol number concentrations; Nordic aerosol with low number concentrations, although showing pronounced seasonal variation of especially Aitken mode particles; Mountain sites (altitude over 1000 m a.s.l.) with a strong seasonal cycle in aerosol number concentrations, high variability, and very low median number concentrations. Southern and Western European regions had fewer stations, which decreases the regional coverage of these results. Aerosol number concentrations over the Britain and Ireland had very high variance and there are indications of mixed air masses from several source regions; the Mediterranean aerosol exhibit high seasonality, and a strong accumulation mode in the summer. The greatest concentrations were observed at the Ispra station in Northern Italy with high accumulation mode number concentrations in the winter. The aerosol number concentrations at the Arctic station Zeppelin in Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard have also a strong seasonal cycle, with greater concentrations of accumulation mode particles in winter, and dominating summer Aitken mode indicating more recently formed particles. Observed particles did not show any statistically significant regional work-week or weekday related variation in number concentrations studied.Analysis products are made for open-access to the research community, available in a freely accessible internet site. The results give to the modelling community a reliable, easy-touse and freely available comparison dataset of aerosol size distributions.

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Section: Eusaar -European Supersites For Atmospheric Aerosol Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Number size distributions and seasonality of submicron particles in Europe 2008–2009

et al. 2011

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“…This results in different mixing states of soot as the aerosol age which in turn increases light absorption from externally mixed to internally mixed (Fuller et al, 1999). Absorption of light in aerosols has been studied for a long time but there are still uncertainties which affect the accuracy of climate models (Bond and Bergstrom, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of volatilisation on light scattering and filter-based absorption measurements: a case study

et al. 2010

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Abstract. Aerosol light absorption measurements most commonly rely on filter-based techniques. These methods are influenced by light scattering constituents in the aerosol phase deposited on the filters. The coating of soot by non-absorbing constituents changes the mixing state of soot as the aerosol ages and increase light absorption by the aerosol. Most light scattering constituents in a sub-micron aerosol are volatile by their nature due to their chemical composition and can be volatilized by heating the sample air. The initial mixing state is lost but the remaining light absorption by the aerosol should be by non-coated soot alone.This was studied during a short field campaign with two groups of equipment measuring in parallel for six days in April 2009 at the SMEAR III station in Helsinki. When heated, the light scattering constituents were evaporated thus reducing the single-scattering albedo (ω 0 ) of the aerosol by as much as 0.4. An oven was set to scan different temperatures which revealed the volatility of the urban aerosol at different temperatures as well as the single-scattering albedo's dependence on the non-volatile volume fraction remaining (NVFR). The NVFR was 0.72 ± 0.13, 0.42 ± 0.06 and 0.22 ± 0.05 at 50, 150 and 280 • C respectively. ω 0 behaved analogically, it was 0.71 ± 0.05, 0.62 ± 0.06 and 0.42 ± 0.07 at the respective temperatures. We found that absorption coefficients measured at different temperatures showed a temperature dependency possibly indicating initially different mixing states of the non-volatile constituents.By heating the aerosol the mode of the size distribution gets shifted to smaller sizes which in turn changes the filterbased instrument's response due increased penetration depth into the filter by the smaller residual particles. This was compensated for by using size distribution data.

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“…Volatility measurements of organic aerosol have received considerable attention recently and have been carried out both in the field (Engler et al, 2007;Huffman et al, 2009) and in the laboratory Jonsson et al, 2007;Faulhaber et al, 2009). Lee (2010) used an aerosol dynamics model based on the volatility basis set (VBS) approach (Donahue et al, 2006) and SOA yield parameters derived from smog chamber studies to show that, due to mass transfer resistances in the particulate phase or at the interface, an effective accommodation coefficient of 0.05 was needed for the description of at least the early stage of the evaporation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of the ambient organic aerosol volatility distribution: application during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment (FAME-2008)

et al. 2010

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Abstract.A variable residence time thermodenuder (TD) was combined with an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) to measure the volatility distribution of aged organic aerosol in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment in May of 2008 (FAME-2008. A new method for the quantification of the organic aerosol volatility distribution was developed combining measurements of all three instruments together with an aerosol dynamics model.Challenges in the interpretation of ambient thermodenuder-AMS measurements include the potential resistances to mass transfer during particle evaporation, the effects of particle size on the evaporated mass fraction, the changes in the AMS collection efficiency and particle density as the particles evaporate partially in the TD, and finally potential losses inside the TD. Our proposed measurement and data analysis method accounts for all of these problems combining the AMS and SMPS measurements.The AMS collection efficiency of the aerosol that passed through the TD was found to be approximately 10% lower than the collection efficiency of the aerosol that passed through the bypass. The organic aerosol measured at Finokalia is approximately 2 or more orders of magnitude less volatile than fresh laboratory-generated monoterpene (α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene under low NO x conditions)Correspondence to: S. N. Pandis (spyros@chemeng.upatras.gr) secondary organic aerosol. This low volatility is consistent with its highly oxygenated AMS mass spectrum. The results are found to be highly sensitive to the mass accommodation coefficient of the evaporating species. This analysis is based on the assumption that there were no significant reactions taking place inside the thermodenuder.

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Size distributions of non-volatile particle residuals (D<sub>p</sub><800 nm) at a rural site in Germany and relation to air mass origin

Cited by 102 publications

References 43 publications

Number size distributions and seasonality of submicron particles in Europe 2008–2009

Number size distributions and seasonality of submicron particles in Europe 2008–2009

Impacts of volatilisation on light scattering and filter-based absorption measurements: a case study

Measurement of the ambient organic aerosol volatility distribution: application during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment (FAME-2008)

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