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Characterizing Ambient Organic Aerosol Properties, Sources, and Processes Via Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

Characterizing Ambient Organic Aerosol Properties, Sources, and Processes Via Aerosol Mass Spectrometry PDF Author: Shan Zhou
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780355461176
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Organic aerosol (OA) is an important component of the earth’s climate system, making up a substantial fraction of the fine aerosol mass in the atmosphere. However, the atmospheric evolution of OA after emission remains poorly characterized. A better understanding of its life cycle is critical for environmental issues ranging from air quality to climate change. In this dissertation, real-time measurements of submicron aerosols were made using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometers (AMS) during two DOE field campaigns to obtain a detailed understanding of the chemical and physical properties, sources and atmospheric processes of OA under various emission regimes. The first field study took place at a rural forest site on Long Island, NY, as part of the Aerosol Life Cycle Intensive Operation Period at Brookhaven National Lab (ALC-IOP at BNL). OA was found to dominate the submicron aerosol mass at BNL and was overwhelmingly secondary. Urban emissions transported from the New York metropolitan area led to elevated OA mass concentration and altered OA composition and physical-chemical properties at this rural site. Results suggest that mixed anthropogenic emissions and biogenic emission led to enhance secondary OA (SOA) production. The second field study took place at a high-altitude regional background site, Mt. Bachelor Observatory (MBO; ~ 2763 m a.s.l), in the western US as part of the Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP). Regional and free tropospheric (FT) aerosols under clean conditions were characterized. Significant compositional and physical differences between FT and boundary layer (BL) OA were observed. Free tropospheric OA was highly oxidized with low volatility, whereas OA associated with BL air masses was less oxidized and appeared to be semivolatile. For periods influenced by transported wildfires plumes during the study period, aerosol concentration at MBO increased substantially and was overwhelmingly organic. Three types of BB organic aerosol (BBOA) were identified and appeared to have been subjected to different degrees of atmospheric processing. A case study using consecutive BB plumes transported from the same fire source showed that photochemical aging led to more oxidized OA with higher mass fractions of aged BBOA and a lower fraction of fresh BBOA. Although BBOA in daytime plumes were chemically more processed than nighttime plumes, the enhancement ratios of OA relative to CO were very similar. Based on observations both at MBO and near fire sources using the DOE G-1 aircraft, BBOA concentrations and chemical properties were strongly influenced by combustion processes at the source. However, OA emissions were consistent between fresher emissions and emissions sampled after atmospheric transport. In addition, tighter correlations were observed between OA oxidation degree and plume age. These results suggest that aging leads to substantial chemical transformed and more oxidized BBOA in this study, yet BBOA concentration was conserved to a significant extent during regional transport, for which a possible reason is that SOA formation was almost entirely balanced by BBOA volatilization.

Characterizing Ambient Organic Aerosol Properties, Sources, and Processes Via Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

Characterizing Ambient Organic Aerosol Properties, Sources, and Processes Via Aerosol Mass Spectrometry PDF Author: Shan Zhou
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780355461176
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Organic aerosol (OA) is an important component of the earth’s climate system, making up a substantial fraction of the fine aerosol mass in the atmosphere. However, the atmospheric evolution of OA after emission remains poorly characterized. A better understanding of its life cycle is critical for environmental issues ranging from air quality to climate change. In this dissertation, real-time measurements of submicron aerosols were made using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometers (AMS) during two DOE field campaigns to obtain a detailed understanding of the chemical and physical properties, sources and atmospheric processes of OA under various emission regimes. The first field study took place at a rural forest site on Long Island, NY, as part of the Aerosol Life Cycle Intensive Operation Period at Brookhaven National Lab (ALC-IOP at BNL). OA was found to dominate the submicron aerosol mass at BNL and was overwhelmingly secondary. Urban emissions transported from the New York metropolitan area led to elevated OA mass concentration and altered OA composition and physical-chemical properties at this rural site. Results suggest that mixed anthropogenic emissions and biogenic emission led to enhance secondary OA (SOA) production. The second field study took place at a high-altitude regional background site, Mt. Bachelor Observatory (MBO; ~ 2763 m a.s.l), in the western US as part of the Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP). Regional and free tropospheric (FT) aerosols under clean conditions were characterized. Significant compositional and physical differences between FT and boundary layer (BL) OA were observed. Free tropospheric OA was highly oxidized with low volatility, whereas OA associated with BL air masses was less oxidized and appeared to be semivolatile. For periods influenced by transported wildfires plumes during the study period, aerosol concentration at MBO increased substantially and was overwhelmingly organic. Three types of BB organic aerosol (BBOA) were identified and appeared to have been subjected to different degrees of atmospheric processing. A case study using consecutive BB plumes transported from the same fire source showed that photochemical aging led to more oxidized OA with higher mass fractions of aged BBOA and a lower fraction of fresh BBOA. Although BBOA in daytime plumes were chemically more processed than nighttime plumes, the enhancement ratios of OA relative to CO were very similar. Based on observations both at MBO and near fire sources using the DOE G-1 aircraft, BBOA concentrations and chemical properties were strongly influenced by combustion processes at the source. However, OA emissions were consistent between fresher emissions and emissions sampled after atmospheric transport. In addition, tighter correlations were observed between OA oxidation degree and plume age. These results suggest that aging leads to substantial chemical transformed and more oxidized BBOA in this study, yet BBOA concentration was conserved to a significant extent during regional transport, for which a possible reason is that SOA formation was almost entirely balanced by BBOA volatilization.

Characterization of Ambient Aerosol Source and Processes During CalNex 2010 with Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

Characterization of Ambient Aerosol Source and Processes During CalNex 2010 with Aerosol Mass Spectrometry PDF Author: José Luis Jiménez
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aerosols
Languages : en
Pages : 124

Book Description


Using Mass Spectrometry and Ftir to Characterize Atmospherically-relevant Particles Generated in Laboratory Systems

Using Mass Spectrometry and Ftir to Characterize Atmospherically-relevant Particles Generated in Laboratory Systems PDF Author: Emily Anne Bruns
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781267057884
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 166

Book Description
Atmospheric aerosols are known to have multifaceted effects on human health, visibility and climate. To understand these effects, characterization of aerosol properties is necessary. This dissertation focuses on several specific topics with the overall goal of improving our understanding of aerosols in the atmosphere. One area of importance is particulate organic nitrates, which are known to be ubiquitous in the atmosphere; however, there is a lack of proven analytical techniques for their measurement. The qualitative and quantitative response of a high resolution time of flight aerosol mass spectrometer to particulate organic nitrates was studied by analyzing secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from NO3 radical reactions with [Alpha]- and [Beta]-pinene, 3-carene, limonene, and isoprene. Extensive fragmentation of the organic nitrate products was observed in the mass spectra, which precluded molecular speciation. Another area of interest is the recent development of a number of ambient ionization techniques, which are promising for aerosol characterization. One such technique, atmospheric solids analysis probe mass spectrometry (ASAP-MS), was applied for the first time to the identification of organics in SOA, which was generated in the laboratory from the ozonolysis of & alpha;-pinene and isoprene, and from the NO3 oxidation of & alpha;-pinene. Also, ambient samples were collected from a forested and a suburban location. ASAP-MS data for the laboratory-generated samples showed peaks corresponding to well-known products of these reactions, and higher molecular weight oligomers were present in all samples. This is consistent with previously published studies of similar systems and shows that ASAP-MS should have wide applicability in both laboratory and field studies. Vapor pressures of low volatility compounds are important parameters in several atmospheric processes, including the formation of new particles and the partitioning of compounds between the gas-phase and particles. However, vapor pressures of low volatility compounds are challenging to measure and reported values vary significantly, illustrating the need for new approaches. ASAP-MS was applied for the first time to the measurement of vapor pressures and heats of sublimation. The measured heats of sublimation were in good agreement with published values. The vapor pressures were typically within a factor of three of published values made at similar temperatures. This study establishes that ASAP-MS is a promising new technique for vapor pressure and heat of sublimation measurements of low volatility compounds. To further understand new particle formation, laboratory and field measurements were made to identify gas-phase amines, which could play a role in new particle formation, from previously unknown sources using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. The work presented in this dissertation advances our understanding of aerosols and explores novel methods for their characterization.

Extended Analysis of the CARES Aerosol Chemistry Data to Characterize Sources and Processes of Organic Aerosol in the Sacramento Valley of California

Extended Analysis of the CARES Aerosol Chemistry Data to Characterize Sources and Processes of Organic Aerosol in the Sacramento Valley of California PDF Author: Qi Zhang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aerosols
Languages : en
Pages : 100

Book Description


Characterization of the Molecular Composition of Secondary Organic Aerosols Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Characterization of the Molecular Composition of Secondary Organic Aerosols Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry PDF Author: Rachel Elizabeth Sellon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
Atmospheric aerosols can affect visibility and the Earth's climate by scattering and absorbing light and they also can have adverse effects on human health. The organic portion of atmospheric aerosols is very complex and is a major fraction of fine particulate matter. High molecular weight (high-MW)/oligomeric organic compounds can make up a large part of this organic fraction and the composition, sources, and formation mechanisms for these compounds are not well understood. This knowledge and understanding is necessary to decrease the uncertainty in the climate affects of aerosols and to improve climate models. This dissertation investigates the composition and formation mechanisms for the high-MW/oligomeric fraction of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) collected in Bakersfield, CA and presents a comparative analysis of chamber and ambient SOA, from both Los Angeles (LA) and Bakersfield, to investigate sources at both locations. A novel sampling technique, nanospray-Desorption Electrospray Ionization (nano-DESI), was used with high resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) to determine the molecular formulas of the high molecular weight (HMW)/oligomeric fraction of SOA. Nano-DESI involves direct desorption from the sample surface and was used to limit reactions that can take place with extraction and storage in solvent. The samples were collected in Bakersfield and LA during CalNex 2010. Both Bakersfield and LA are out of compliance with EPA standards of ozone and particulate matter and provide opportunities to examine air masses affected by both anthropogenic and biogenic sources. This dissertation has provided the first evidence of observable changes in the composition of high-MW/oligomeric compounds throughout the day. Using positive mode nano-DESI, afternoon increases in the number of compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (CHO) were observed consistent with photochemistry/ozonolysis as a major source for these compounds. Compounds containing reduced nitrogen groups were dominant at night and had precursors consistent with imine formation products from the reaction of carbonyls and ammonia. In the negative mode, organonitrates (CHON) and nitroxy organosulfates (CHONS) had larger numbers of compounds in the night/morning samples consistent with nitrate radical formation reactions. A subset of the CHONS compounds and compounds containing sulfur (CHOS) had the same composition as known biogenic organosulfates and nitroxy organosulfates indicating contributions from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources to the SOA. This dissertation also provides the first analysis of the high-MW/oligomeric fraction in size resolved samples; the majority of the compounds were found in aerosol diameters between 0.18-1.0 micrometers and the CHON were bimodal with size. Finally, this dissertation presents the first comparative analysis of the overlap in the composition of this fraction of SOA between ambient and chamber samples. Samples collected in Pasadena, LA and Bakersfield were compared with samples collected in a smog chamber using diesel and isoprene sources. The results indicate that diesel had the highest overlap at both sites, Bakersfield samples were more oxidized, and LA showed evidence of a SOA plume arriving from downtown LA. The addition of ammonia to the diesel chamber experiment was necessary to form many of the 2N compounds found in Bakersfield. These results increase our understanding of the types of compounds found in urban environments and give evidence for the timescales of formation reactions in an ambient environment. They show that the majority of the high-MW oligomeric compounds are found in submicron size particles and that the composition of this fraction of SOA varies with aerosol size. Results from the chamber comparisons show that both diesel and isoprene are important sources for these compounds and also that there other sources are present. Future work that combines this type of analysis, in other ambient environments, with studies of the optical properties of aerosols could be used to help improve climate models and to start to close the gap in our understanding of the climate effects of atmospheric aerosols.

Molecular Characterization of Atmospheric Organic Matter in Biogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol, Ambient Aerosol and Clouds

Molecular Characterization of Atmospheric Organic Matter in Biogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol, Ambient Aerosol and Clouds PDF Author: Yunzhu Zhao
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Atmospheric chemistry
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Book Description
Atmospheric aerosol affects the Earth's energy budget, reduces visibility and influences human health. The organic composition of aerosol is quite complex and continuously evolves through various atmospheric processes. To gain a deeper understanding of the molecular composition of atmospheric organic matter (AOM), chamber-generated biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA), ambient aerosol and cloud water samples were studied. Ultrahigh resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry was used to provide detailed molecular characterization of the atmospheric samples. Due to the extremely high mass resolution and mass accuracy, thousands of individual molecular formulas were identified in all of the samples studied. Multivariate statistical analysis methods were evaluated to compare the similarities and differences of the sample compositions. The biogenic SOA from three individual monoterpene precursors and a sesquiterpene precursor have clusters of peaks in their mass spectra, indicating that high molecular weight oligomers are a major component of the SOA. The monoterpene SOA have similar molecular compositions, which are different from the sesquiterpene SOA composition. The indicator species of SOA were identified using multivariate statistical analysis. Daily 24-hour water-soluble organic carbon samples from ambient aerosol collected at the Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) show similar bulk chemical properties regarding their average elemental ratios and double bond equivalents. Using multivariate statistical analysis, the site meteorological conditions were found to affect the aerosol molecular composition. Days with strong UV radiation and high temperature were found to contain large numbers of biogenic SOA molecular formulas. Days with high relative humidity and high sulfate ion concentrations were found to contain many sulfur-containing compounds, suggesting their aqueous phase formation. The collection of cloud samples at the SPL provided an opportunity to study aqueous processing of AOM. The cloud composition was affected by biomass burning and SOA. Comparisons of the sample compositions indicate biogenic SOA components are commonly observed in ambient aerosol and cloud samples collected at the SPL. Thus, the ambient samples were used to confirm the biogenic SOA indicator species identified in chamber-generated SOA. This study of the three types of atmospheric samples helps to understand the composition of AOM with respect to atmospheric processes.

Molecular Characterization of Organic Aerosol by Mass Spectrometry

Molecular Characterization of Organic Aerosol by Mass Spectrometry PDF Author: Yuqian Gao
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781124611839
Category : Atmospheric aerosols
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Organic aerosol is a major constituent of atmospheric fine particles, especially over continental regions. These particles adversely affect human health and global climate. A significant fraction of organic aerosol is considered to be from the oxidation products of ozone and volatile organic compounds, which are called secondary organic aerosol (SOA). To study the formation mechanisms of secondary organic aerosol, it is important to characterize their molecular composition. The composition of secondary organic aerosol is very complex including thousands of species with molecular weight up to over a thousand Dalton. Methods utilized for the identification of these oxidation products involve advanced mass spectrometry techniques. In this dissertation, three mass spectrometry techniques were developed to study the molecular composition of organic aerosol. Firstly, online nano-aerosol sample deposition methods for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry was developed to incorporate matrix particles directly with analyte particles onto a conventional MALDI plate. Secondly, a microsampling and analysis technique was developed in order to collect microgram samples and analyze them with high performance mass spectrometry. With this technique, the molecular composition of particle phase SOA at a low mass loading can be elucidated, which provides information about SOA formation at the early stages. A species with the (neutral molecule) formula C 17 H 26 O 8 (MW 358) increased substantially in intensity relative to other products as the mass loading decreased. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS n) of this species showed it to be a dimer of C 9 H 14 O 4 and C 8 H 12 O 4, most likely pinic acid and terpenylic acid, respectively. This species is likely to be critical at the early stages of SOA formation. Thirdly, ambient secondary electrospray ionization (ESI) source was designed to characterize the molecular composition of both gas and particle phases SOA online. This ion source was demonstrated to be applicable to a wide range of mass spectrometers having an ambient inlet. This technique provides a tool to acquire detailed information about possible SOA nucleation agents. A species with the (neutral molecule) formula C 20 H 36 O 6 (MW 372) was found in the gas-phase products of SOA, which could be critical for the new particle formation of SOA. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS n) of this species showed it to be a dimer of an organic hydroperoxide C 10 H 18 O 3, which is likely formed via OH-initiated oxidation pathway.

Properties of Secondary Organic Aerosol in the Ambient Atmosphere

Properties of Secondary Organic Aerosol in the Ambient Atmosphere PDF Author: Christopher James Hennigan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Air
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
This thesis characterizes properties of ambient secondary organic aerosol (SOA), an important and abundant component of particulate matter. The findings presented in this thesis are significant because they represent the results from ambient measurements, which are relatively scarce, and because they report on properties of SOA that, until now, were highly uncertain. The analyses utilized the fraction of particulate organic carbon that was soluble in water (WSOCp) to approximate SOA concentrations in two largely different urban environments, Mexico City and Atlanta. In Mexico City, measurements of atmospheric gases and fine particle chemistry were made at a site ~ 30 km down wind of the city center. Using box model analyses and a comparison to ammonium nitrate aerosol, a species whose thermodynamic properties are generally understood, the morning formation and mid-day evaporation of SOA are investigated. In Atlanta, simultaneous measurements of WSOCp and water-soluble organic carbon in the gas phase (WSOCg) were carried out for an entire summer to investigate the sources and partitioning of WSOC. The results suggest that both WSOCp and WSOCg were secondary and biogenic, except possibly in several strong biomass burning events. The gas/particle partitioning of WSOC in Atlanta was investigated through the parameter, Fp, which represented the fraction of WSOC in the particle phase. Factors that appear to influence WSOC partitioning in Atlanta include ambient relative humidity and the WSOCp mass concentration. There was also a relationship between the NOx concentration and Fp, though this was not likely related to the partitioning process. Temperature did not appear to impact Fp, though this may have been due to positive relationships WSOCp and WSOCg each exhibited with temperature. Neither the total Organic Carbon aerosol mass concentration nor the ozone concentration impacted WSOC partitioning.

Single Particle Characterization, Source Apportionment, and Aging Effects of Ambient Aerosols in Southern California

Single Particle Characterization, Source Apportionment, and Aging Effects of Ambient Aerosols in Southern California PDF Author: Laura Grace Shields
Publisher: ProQuest
ISBN: 9780549598473
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 230

Book Description
Composed of a mixture of chemical species and phases and existing in a variety of shapes and sizes, atmospheric aerosols are complex and can have serious influence on human health, the environment, and climate. In order to better understand the impact of aerosols on local to global scales, detailed measurements on the physical and chemical properties of ambient particles are essential. In addition, knowing the origin or the source of the aerosols is important for policymakers to implement targeted regulations and effective control strategies to reduce air pollution in their region. One of the most ground breaking techniques in aerosol instrumentation is single particle mass spectrometry (SPMS), which can provide online chemical composition and size information on the individual particle level. The primary focus of this work is to further improve the ability of one specific SPMS technique, aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS), for the use of identifying the specific origin of ambient aerosols, which is known as source apportionment. The ATOFMS source apportionment method utilizes a library of distinct source mass spectral signatures to match the chemical information of the single ambient particles. The unique signatures are obtained in controlled source characterization studies, such as with the exhaust emissions of heavy duty diesel vehicles (HDDV) operating on a dynamometer. The apportionment of ambient aerosols is complicated by the chemical and physical processes an individual particle can undergo as it spends time in the atmosphere, which is referred to as "aging" of the aerosol. Therefore, the performance of the source signature library technique was investigated on the ambient dataset of the highly aged environment of Riverside, California. Additionally, two specific subsets of the Riverside dataset (ultrafine particles and particles containing trace metals), which are known to cause adverse health effects, were probed in greater detail. Finally, the impact of large wildfires on the ambient levels of particulate matter in Southern California is discussed. The results of this work provide insight into single particles impacting the Southern California region, the relative source contributions to this region, and finally an examination of how atmospheric aging influences the ability to perform source apportionment.

Characterization of Secondary Organic Aerosols in the Atmosphere by Using Mass Spectrometric Approaches

Characterization of Secondary Organic Aerosols in the Atmosphere by Using Mass Spectrometric Approaches PDF Author: Farhat Yasmeen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 103

Book Description
Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) accounts for a significant fraction of ambient tropospheric aerosol. The chemical composition of SOA is highly uncertain as it depends on different ongoing chemical and physical processes of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) and anthropogenic volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere. The research performed within the frame of this doctoral thesis is focused on the characterization of SOA produced from BVOC under a variety of atmospheric reactions resorting to mass spectrometric approaches. In a first study, the aqueous-phase oligomer formation of a major atmospheric photooxidation product, i.e., methylglyoxal, has been investigated to explore an additional pathway producing SOA through cloud processes during night-time. A second study deals with the chemical characterization (sulfate and organic matter) of marine aerosols. methanesulfonic acid was the dominating organic compound in in the fine size fraction of aerosol. A third study concerns the structural characterization of a dimeric [alpha]- and [beta]-pinene SOA product. It is proposed that diaterpenylic acid is a key monomeric unit for dimers of the ester type. A fourth study deals with the chemical characterization by fragmentation of major terpenoic acids in ambient fine aerosols from a rural site. Emphasis is given to the mass spectrometric differentiation of isobaric terpenoic acids that occur in fine forest aerosol. This thesis presents results on aerosol characterization from a wide range of parent organic compounds under a variety of atmospheric conditions.