Download or read book Ageing of Biomass Burning Aerosols and Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosols Over West Africa written by Gerard Capes and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Aging of Biomass Burning Aerosols and Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosols Over West Africa written by Gerard Capes and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Biomass Burning Aerosols from African Wildfires written by Huihui Wu and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Chemical Transformation of Biomass Burning Organic Aerosols Due to Photolytic Aging written by Hongmin Yu and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA), organic aerosol that derived from burning of biomass fuels, has been a major research focus because of its special role in the global budget of atmospheric chemistry and radiative forcing. Due to its chemical complexity, there are gaps in our knowledge about the chemical aging processes of BBOA in the atmosphere. Since many photochemical aging experiments on BBOA are usually conducted for only a few hours, less is known about the photo-aging pathways of the system over an extended timescale. This study presents the analyses of three BBOA filter samples derived from three types of fuels that were photolytically aged over a timeframe of up to ~3.5 days. Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Offline-Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (Offline-AMS) were used to measure the chemical changes in the aqueous sample extracts and evaluate how those changes can relate to their specific fuel type. This study finds an overall increase in oxidation states and decrease in the nitro group (NO2) compounds in the samples. The level of levoglucosan, a tracer organic species of BBOA, is also observed to decrease in the sample mixture due to photolysis alone for the first time. Several unique chemical characteristics were observed for each sample, which possibly relate to their individual fuel type. In order to further support those observations and obtain a full picture of the chemical compositions of the samples, future studies will focus on examining the acetonitrile extracts of our samples, investigating the corresponding on-line AMS data set, and applying more analytical methods to the sample extracts.

Download or read book Evolution of Secondary Organic Aerosol Composition Volatility and Absorption During Oxidation of Phenolic Compounds Under Conditions Relevant to Biomass Burning written by Carley Fredrickson and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Phenolic compounds emitted from wildfires and biomass burning (BB) are highly reactive and yield secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and brown carbon (BrC) upon oxidation initiated by the hydroxyl radical (OH) and nitrate radical (NO3). In high nitrogen dioxide (NO2) environments, such as BB plumes, phenolic oxidation is expected to form nitroaromatics in high yield which can explain in part the BrC content of associated SOA. We conducted a set of experiments as part of the Monoterpene and Oxygenated aromatics Oxidation at Night and under LIGHTs (MOONLIGHT) campaign to evaluate the chemical and physical drivers of phenolic compound evolution in high nitrogen oxide (NOx = NO + NO2) wildfire plumes, specifically investigating the composition, volatility, and absorption of the SOA components formed under OH and NO3 oxidation, with catechol as the focus of this thesis. Oxidation products in both the gas and particle phases were measured using an I- adduct high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (HR-ToF I- CIMS) coupled with the Filter Inlet for Gases and Aerosols (FIGAERO). Oxidation of catechol produced BrC, defined by light absorption at 405 nm, at the highest yields out of all the phenolics studied. Particle-phase nitrocatechol (C6H5NO4) was found to account for 28% and 79% of organic aerosol (OA) mass formed from OH-initiated or NO3-initiated oxidation, respectively, and was strongly associated with BrC. Effective molar yields, i.e., including chemical and physical losses, of nitrocatechol were measured to range from 0.65 to 1 for NO3-initiated oxidation, and 0.03 for OH oxidation conditions. Maximum SOA mass yields from catechol oxidation were strongly tied to formation of nitrocatechol, ranging from 0.38 to 1.63 for the different experiments, lower than previously reported values. Higher SOA mass yields from catechol oxidation were found for NO3 rather than OH oxidation. The effective volatility of the SOA measured with the FIGAERO thermograms decreased significantly with subsequent aging after formation. Gas-particle partitioning measurements imply the saturation vapor concentration of nitrocatechol to be roughly 5 [micrograms] m-3, while the FIGAERO thermogram model estimate is lower but in the same order of magnitude, implying that wildfire gas-particle partitioning of nitroaromatics is likely dynamic. Group contribution method estimates of nitrocatechol saturation concentration range across 8 orders of magnitude with 3 [micrograms] m-3 from the Nannoolal method paired with the Joback and Reid boiling point method being closest to our observational estimates. In extended photochemical aging experiments, BrC formed from catechol oxidation had a photochemical lifetime of ~12 hours, while that of particulate nitrocatechol ranged from 7 hours if formed by NO3 oxidation to 18 hours if formed by OH oxidation. Implications for atmospheric evolution of BrC in wildfire and mechanisms of particulate nitroaromatic losses are discussed.

Download or read book Towards a Comprehensive Analysis of the Impact Biomass Burning Aerosols Have on the West African Monsoon written by Osinachi Ajoku and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation is motivated by the lack of research depth on the influence biomass burning produced aerosols impose on West African monsoon dynamics during daily time scales. The impacts of such aerosols on atmospheric thermodynamics and cloud microphysics are investigated using a combination of satellite observations and global climate model simulations. Using observations, we find (1) suppression of precipitation rates over the Guinea coastline with elevated aerosol transport and (2) an increase in rates with decreased aerosol amounts. Decreases in the amount of shortwave radiation reaching the surface over land and ocean attributed to increases in low-level cloud coverage and the absorptive nature of biomass aerosols observed in nature on dirty conditions are matched with reductions in convective available potential energy (CAPE), vertical air mixing essential for deep-convection cloud cover. Increased aerosol content is also associated with decreases in cloud droplet effective radius, a defining feature of aerosol indirect effects. Guided by available observations, model experiments are designed for NCAR's CESM2 with meteorology being nudged to observations using MERRA2 reanalysis to visualize data not available through such observations. Simulations successfully reproduce aerosol transport and corresponding precipitation changes found in observations. However, this model is not in agreement with changes in low-level cloud fraction which leads to increases (decreases) in shortwave radiation reaching the surface (top of atmosphere) during dirty conditions. Our model simulations show that aerosol semidirect and indirect effects interact together to alter cloud formation processes and ultimately control the precipitation response. Throughout the equatorial Atlantic, smoke aerosols impact the structure of stratocumulus to cumulus transition (SCT) through an alteration of atmospheric stability and moisture availability. Boundary layer deepening and increasing sea surface temperatures put the location of this transition within the Gulf of Guinea. Increased low-level clouds occur over the Atlantic cold tongue where aerosol layers reside above low cloud tops, reflecting a negative aerosol semidirect effect. Coupled with significant changes in cloud top height and tropospheric stability further South, these aerosol effects combine to extend in space during increased aerosol loading episodes.

Download or read book Formation Ageing and Thermal Properties of Secondary Organic Aerosol Elektronisk Resurs written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Chemical Aging of Single and Multicomponent Biomass Burning Aerosol Surrogate particles by OH written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Multiphase OH and O3 oxidation reactions with atmospheric organic aerosol (OA) can influence particle physicochemical properties including composition, morphology, and lifetime. Chemical aging of initially insoluble or low soluble single-component OA by OH and O3 can increase their water-solubility and hygroscopicity, making them more active as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and susceptible to wet deposition. However, an outstanding problem is whether the effects of chemical aging on their CCN activity are preserved when mixed with other organic or inorganic compounds exhibiting greater water-solubility. In this work, the CCN activity of laboratory-generated biomass burning aerosol (BBA) surrogate-particles exposed to OH and O3 is evaluated by determining the hygroscopicity parameter, [kappa], as a function of particle type, mixing state, and OH/O3 exposure applying a CCN counter (CCNc) coupled to an aerosol flow reactor (AFR). Levoglucosan (LEV), 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol (MNC), and potassium sulfate (KS) serve as representative BBA compounds that exhibit different hygroscopicity, water solubility, chemical functionalities, and reactivity with OH radicals, and thus exemplify the complexity of mixed inorganic/organic aerosol in the atmosphere. The CCN activities of all of the particles were unaffected by O3 exposure. Following exposure to OH, [kappa] of MNC was enhanced by an order of magnitude, from 0.009 to ~0.1, indicating that chemically-aged MNC particles are better CCN and more prone to wet deposition than pure MNC particles. No significant enhancement in [kappa] was observed for pure LEV particles following OH exposure. [kappa] of the internally-mixed particles was not affected by OH oxidation. Furthermore, the CCN activity of OH exposed MNC-coated KS particles is similar to the OH unexposed atomized 1:1 by mass MNC: KS binary-component particles. Our results strongly suggest that when OA is dominated by water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) or inorganic ions, chemical aging has no significant impact on OA hygroscopicity. The organic compounds exhibiting low solubility behave as if they are infinitely soluble when mixed with a sufficient amount of water-soluble compounds. At and beyond this point, the particles' CCN activity is governed entirely by the water-soluble fraction and not influenced by the oxidized organic fraction. Our results have important implications for heterogeneous oxidation and its impact on cloud formation given that atmospheric aerosol is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds exhibiting a wide-range of solubilities.

Download or read book Stable Isotope Geochemistry written by Jochen Hoefs and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-17 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stable Isotope Geochemistry is an introduction to the use of stable isotopes in the fields of geoscience. It is subdivided into three parts: - theoretical and experimental principles; - fractionation mechanisms of light elements; - the natural variations of geologically important reservoirs. In this updated 4th edition many of the chapters have been expanded, especially those on techniques and environmental aspects. The main focus is on recent results and new developments. For students and scientists alike the book will be a primary reference with regard to how and where stable isotopes can be used to solve geological problems.

Download or read book The Aging of Organic Aerosol in the Atmosphere written by Sean Herbert Kessler and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The immense chemical complexity of atmospheric organic particulate matter ("aerosol") has left the general field of condensed-phase atmospheric organic chemistry relatively under-developed when compared with either gas-phase chemistry or the formation of inorganic compounds. In this work, we endeavor to improve the general understanding of the narrow class of oxidation reactions that occur at the interface between the particle surface and the gas-phase. The heterogeneous oxidation of pure erythritol (C4H1 00 4 ) and levoglucosan (C6H1 00 5) particles by hydroxyl radical (OH) was studied first in order to evaluate the effects of atmospheric aging on the mass and chemical composition of atmospheric organic aerosol, particularly that resembling fresh secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and biomass-burning organic aerosol (BBOA). In contrast to what is generally observed for the heterogeneous oxidation of reduced organics, substantial volatilization is observed in both systems. As a continuation of the heterogeneous oxidation experiments, we also measure the kinetics and products of the aging of highly oxidized organic aerosol, in which submicron particles composed of model oxidized organics -- 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (C8H100 8), citric acid (C6 H8 0 7), tartaric acid (C4H6 0 6 ), and Suwannee River fulvic acid -- were oxidized by gas-phase OH in the same flow reactor, and the masses and elemental composition of the particles were monitored as a function of OH exposure. In contrast to studies of the less-oxidized model systems, particle mass did not decrease significantly with heterogeneous oxidation, although substantial chemical transformations were observed and characterized. Lastly, the immense complexity inherent in the formation of SOA -- due primarily to the large number of oxidation steps and reaction pathways involved -- has limited the detailed understanding of its underlying chemistry. In order to simplify this inherent complexity, we give over the last portion of this thesis to a novel technique for the formation of SOA through the photolysis of gas-phase alkyl iodides, which generates organic peroxy radicals of known structure. In contrast to standard OH-initiated oxidation experiments, photolytically initiated oxidation forms a limited number of products via a single reactive step. The system in which the photolytic SOA is formed is also repurposed as a generator of organic aerosol for input into a secondary reaction chamber, where the organic particles undergo additional aging by the heterogeneous oxidation mechanism already discussed. Particles exiting this reactor are observed to have become more dramatically oxidized than comparable systems containing SOA formed by gas-phase alkanes undergoing "normal" photo-oxidation by OH, suggesting simultaneously the utility of gas-phase precursor photolysis as an effective experimental platform for studying directly the chemistry involved in atmospheric aerosol formation and also the possibility that heterogeneous processes may play a more significant role in the atmosphere than what is predicted from chamber experiments. Consideration is given for the application of these results to larger-scale experiments, models, and conceptual frameworks.

Download or read book Multiphase Environmental Chemistry in the Atmosphere written by Sherri W. Hunt and published by ACS Symposium. This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights new cross-disciplinary advances in aerosol chemistry that involve more than one phase, for example, unique chemical processes occurring on gas-solid and liquid-solid interfaces.

Download or read book Formation and Chemical Evolution of Secondary Organic Aerosol from Aqueous phase Reactions of Atmospheric Phenols written by Lu Yu and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is formed and transformed in atmospheric aqueous phases (e.g., cloud and fog droplets and deliquesced airborne particles containing small amounts of water) through a multitude of chemical and physical processes. Understanding the formation and transformation processes of SOA via aqueous-phase reactions is important for properly presenting its atmospheric evolution pathways in models and for elucidating its climate and health effects. Phenolic compounds, which are emitted in significant amounts from biomass burning, can undergo fast reactions in atmospheric aqueous phases to form secondary organic aerosol (aqSOA). In this study, we investigate the formation and evolution of phenol (C6H6O), guaiacol (C7H8O2; 2-methoxyphenol) and syringol (C8H10O3; 2,6-dimethoxyphenol) and with two major aqueous phase oxidants -- the triplet excited state of an aromatic carbonyl (3C*) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) - and interpret the reaction mechanisms. In addition, given that dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important component of fog and cloud water and that it can undergo aqueous reactions to form more oxidized, less volatile species, we further investigate the photochemical processing of DOM in fog water to gain insights into the aqueous-phase processing of organic aerosol (OA) in the atmosphere. In Chapter 2, we thoroughly characterize the bulk chemical and molecular compositions of phenolic aqSOA formed at half-life (t[subscript 1/2]), and interpret the formation mechanisms. We find that phenolic aqSOA formed at t[subscript 1/2] is highly oxygenated with atomic oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O/C) in the range of 0.85-1.23. Dimers, higher oligomers (up to hexamers), functionalized monomers and oligomers with carbonyl, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups, and small organic acids are detected. Compared with ·OH-mediated reactions, reactions mediated by 3C* are faster and produce more oligomers and hydroxylated species at t[subscript1/2]. We also find that aqSOA shows enhanced light absorption in the UV-vis region, suggesting that aqueous-phase reactions of phenols are an important source of secondary brown carbon in the atmosphere, especially in regions impacted by biomass burning. In Chapter 3, we investigate the chemical evolution of phenolic aqSOA via aqueous-phase reactions on the molecular level and interpret the aging mechanisms. Our results indicate that oligomerization is an important aqueous reaction pathway for phenols, especially during the initial stage of photooxidation. Functionalization and fragmentation become dominant at later stages, forming a variety of functionalized aromatic and ring-opening products with higher carbon oxidation states. Fragmentation reactions eventually dominate the photochemical evolution of phenolic aqSOA, forming a large number of highly oxygenated ring-opening molecules. In addition, phenolic aqSOA has a wide range of saturation vapor pressures (C*), varying from 10−20 [mu]g m−3 for functionalized phenolic oligomers to 10 [mu]g m−3 for ring-opening species with number of carbon less than 6. The detection of abundant extremely low volatile organic compounds (ELVOC) indicates that aqueous reactions of phenolic compounds are likely an important source of ELVOC in the atmosphere. Chapter 3 investigates the molecular transformation with aging based on the characterization of three aqSOA filter samples collected at the defined time intervals of the photoreaction. However, the chemical evolution of aqSOA products with hours of illumination at a higher time resolution is largely unknown. In Chapter 4, we investigate the chemical evolution of aqSOA at a 1-min time resolution based on high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) analysis. This is important for understanding the continuous evolution of phenolic aqSOA with aging as well as for elucidating the formation and transformation of different generations of products. Our results suggest that dimer and higher-order oligomers (trimers, tetramers, etc.) are formed continuously during the first 1-2 hours of photoreaction but show a gradual decrease afterwards. Functionalized derivatives grow at a later time and then gradually decrease. Highly oxidized ring-opening species continuously increase over the course of reactions. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of the AMS spectra of phenolic aqSOA identifies multiple factors, representing different generations of products. The 1st-generation products include dimers, higher-order oligomers and their oxygenated derivatives. The 2nd-generation products include oxygenated monomeric derivatives. The 3rd-generation products include highly oxidized ring-opening species. In Chapter 5, we investigate the evolution of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in fog water. Our results show that the mass concentration of DOM[subscript OA] (i.e., low-volatility DOM in fog water) is enhanced over the course of illumination, with continuous increase of O/C and atomic nitrogen-to-carbon ratio (N/C). The increase of DOM[subscript OA] is due to the incorporation of oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups into the molecules. The aqueous aging of DOM[subscript OA] can be modeled as a linear combination of the dynamic variations of 3 factors using PMF analysis. Factor 1 is chemically similar to the DOM[subscript OA] before illumination, which is quickly reacted away. Factor 2 is representative of an intermediate component, which is first formed and then transformed, and O/C of Factor 2 is intermediate between that of Factor 1 and Factor 3. Factor 3 represents highly oxidized final products, which is continuously formed during illumination. Fog DOM absorbs significantly in the tropospheric sunlight wavelengths, but this absorption behavior stays almost constant over the course of illumination, despite the significant change in chemical composition.

Download or read book Chemistry of Secondary Organic Aerosol written by Lindsay Diana Yee and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The photooxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere can lead to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a major component of fine particulate matter. Improvements to air quality require insight into the many reactive intermediates that lead to SOA formation, of which only a small fraction have been measured at the molecular level. This thesis describes the chemistry of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from several atmospherically relevant hydrocarbon precursors. Photooxidation experiments of methoxyphenol and phenolic compounds and C12 alkanes were conducted in the Caltech Environmental Chamber. These experiments include the first photooxidation studies of these precursors run under sufficiently low NOx levels, such that RO2 + HO2 chemistry dominates, an important chemical regime in the atmosphere. Using online Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometery (CIMS), key gas-phase intermediates that lead to SOA formation in these systems were identified. With complementary particle-phase analyses, chemical mechanisms elucidating the SOA formation from these compounds are proposed. Three methoxyphenol species (phenol, guaiacol, and syringol) were studied to model potential photooxidation schemes of biomass burning intermediates. SOA yields (ratio of mass of SOA formed to mass of primary organic reacted) exceeding 25% are observed. Aerosol growth is rapid and linear with the organic conversion, consistent with the formation of essentially non-volatile products. Gas and aerosol-phase oxidation products from the guaiacol system show that the chemical mechanism consists of highly oxidized aromatic species in the particle phase. Syringol SOA yields are lower than that of phenol and guaiacol, likely due to unique chemistry dependent on methoxy group position. The photooxidation of several C12 alkanes of varying structure n-dodecane, 2-methylundecane, cyclododecane, and hexylcyclohexane) were run under extended OH exposure to investigate the effect of molecular structure on SOA yields and photochemical aging. Peroxyhemiacetal formation from the reactions of several multifunctional hydroperoxides and aldehyde intermediates was found to be central to organic growth in all systems, and SOA yields increased with cyclic character of the starting hydrocarbon. All of these studies provide direction for future experiments and modeling in order to lessen outstanding discrepancies between predicted and measured SOA.

Download or read book Observations of Secondary Organic Aerosol Production and Soot Aging Under Atmospheric Conditions Using a Novel Environmental Aerosol Chamber written by Crystal Glen and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) comprise a substantial fraction of the total global aerosol budget. While laboratory studies involving smog chambers have advanced our understanding of the formation mechanisms responsible for SOA, our knowledge of the processes leading to SOA production under ambient gaseous and particulate concentrations as well as the impact these aerosol types have on climate is poorly understood. Although the majority of atmospheric aerosols scatter radiation either directly or indirectly by serving as cloud condensation nuclei, soot is thought to have a significant warming effect through absorption. Like inorganic salts, soot may undergo atmospheric transformation through the vapor condensation of non-volatile gaseous species which will alter both its chemical and physical properties. Typical smog chamber studies investigating the formation and growth of SOA as well as the soot aging process are temporally limited by the initial gaseous concentrations injected into the chamber environment. Furthermore, data interpretation from such experiments is generally restricted to the singular gaseous species under investigation. This dissertation discusses the use of a new aerosol chamber designed to study the formation and growth of SOA and soot aging under atmospherically relevant conditions. The Ambient Aerosol Chamber for Evolution Studies (AACES) was deployed at three field sites where size and hygroscopic growth factor (HGF) of ammonium sulfate seed particles was monitored over time to examine the formation and growth of SOA. Similar studies investigating the soot aging process were also conducted in Houston, TX. It is shown that during the ambient growth of ammonium sulfate seed particles, as particle size increases, hygroscopic growth factors decrease considerably resulting in a significant organic mass fraction in the particle phase concluding an experiment. Observations of soot aging show an increase in measured size, HGF, mass and single scattering albedo. Ambient growth rate comparisons with chamber growth yielded similar trends verifying the use of AACES to study aerosol aging. Based on the results from this study, it is recommended that AACES be employed in future studies involving the production and growth of SOA and soot aging under ambient conditions in order to bridge the gaps in our current scientific knowledge.

Download or read book Carbonaceous Aerosol Study Using Advanced Particle Instrumentation written by Li Qi and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the evolution of carbonaceous aerosol in the atmosphere was conducted with special focus on primary biomass burning and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) processing. The work is broken down into two major components: the organic aerosol mass released from biomass burning and the evolution of SOA with special emphasis on formation routes. The biomass burning work explored the evolution of organic aerosol emissions as a function of modified combustion efficiency with correlations drawn between levoglucosan emissions and wood-type, combustion type (flaming, mixed, smoldering) using high resolution aerosol mass spectrometry. The SOA work includes insights into the mechanism for SOA formation from aromatics including the impacts of temperature and particle-aging. This work conclusively demonstrates that gas-particle partitioning theory combined with enthalpies of formation are insufficient to model the formation of SOA as a function of time; that the presence of secondary reactions, in both the particle and gas-phase continue to evolve the aerosol beyond that typically simulated in environmental chambers; and that current mechanisms for SOA formation from aromatics fail to explain isotopically labeled experiments while conclusively ruling out the importance of organic nitrate products.

Download or read book Quantification of Absorption Due to Black and Brown Carbon from Biomass Burning and Parameterizations for Comparison to Climate Models Result written by Rudra Prasad Pokhrel and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation examines the optical properties of fresh and aged biomass burning aerosols, parameterization of these properties, and development of new instrumentation and calibration techniques to measure aerosol optical properties. Data sets were collected from the fourth Fire Lab at Missoula Experiment (FLAME-4) that took place from October 15 to November 16, 2012. Biomass collected from the various parts of the world were burned under controlled laboratory conditions and fresh emissions from different stages of burning were measured and analyzed. Optical properties of aged aerosol under different conditions was also explored. A photoacoustic absorption spectrometer (PAS) was built and integrated with a newly designed thermal denuder to improve upon observations made during Flame-4. A novel calibration technique for the PAS was developed. Single scattering albedo (SSA) and absorption Angstrom exponent (AAE) from 12 different fuels with 41 individual burns were estimated and parameterized with modified combustion efficiency (MCE) and the ratio of elemental carbon (EC) to organic carbon (OC) mass. The EC / OC ratio has better capability to parameterize SSA and AAE than MCE. The simple linear regression model proposed in this study accurately predicts SSA during the first few hours of plume aging with the ambient data from a biomass burning event. In addition, absorption due to brown carbon (BrC) can significantly lower the SSA at 405 nm resulting in a wavelength dependence of SSA. Furthermore, smoldering dominated burns have larger AAE values while flaming dominated burns have smaller AAE values indicating a large fraction of BrC is emitted during the smoldering stage of the burn. Enhancement in BC absorption (E[superscript]A[superscript]b[superscript]s) due to coating by absorbing and non-absorbing substances is estimated at 405 nm and 660 nm. Relatively smaller values of E[superscript]A[superscript]b[superscript]s at 660 nm compared to 405 nm suggests lensing is a less important contributor to biomass burning aerosol absorption at lower wavelengths. Multiple burns of the same fuel produced significantly different E[superscript]A[superscript]b[superscript]s values at 405 nm, but show good correlation with the EC/OC ratio indicating less dependency on fuel type and more dependency on burn conditions. In addition, absorption due to BrC can contribute up to 92 % of the total biomass burning aerosol absorption at 405 nm and up to 58 % of the total absorption at 532 nm. Indicating BrC absorption in biomass burning emissions is equally or more important than the absorption due to BC at short wavelengths. Furthermore, fractional absorption due to BrC shows reasonably good correlation with EC/OC ratio and AAE.Primary organic aerosol is found to be more volatile than secondary organic aerosol and it is found that the thermal denuder deployed in this study removes less organic aerosol if secondary organic aerosol is present. SSA at 532 nm remains constant during different conditions of aging while SSA at 405 nm increases under certain conditions suggesting the degradation of BrC. Decreases in AAE under the same experiment further support the proposed BrC degradation. The novel thermal denuder designed completely removes non-refractory material and can be used under higher flow rates (maximum of 5 LPM) than the most commercially available thermal denuders. The new calibration techniques proposed for the photoacousitc absorption spectrometer will reduce uncertainty during calibration compared to the conventional calibration methods.

Download or read book The Formation and Aging of Secondary Organic Aerosol from Alpha pinene Oxidation written by Kaytlin Henry and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: