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The "dual-spot" Aethalometer: An improved measurement of aerosol black carbon with real-time loading compensation
2015, Drinovec, L., Močnik, G., Zotter, P., Prévôt, A.S.H., Ruckstuhl, C., Coz, E., Rupakheti, M., Sciare, J., Müller, T., Wiedensohler, A., Hansen, A.D.A.
Aerosol black carbon is a unique primary tracer for combustion emissions. It affects the optical properties of the atmosphere and is recognized as the second most important anthropogenic forcing agent for climate change. It is the primary tracer for adverse health effects caused by air pollution. For the accurate determination of mass equivalent black carbon concentrations in the air and for source apportionment of the concentrations, optical measurements by filter-based absorption photometers must take into account the "filter loading effect". We present a new real-time loading effect compensation algorithm based on a two parallel spot measurement of optical absorption. This algorithm has been incorporated into the new Aethalometer model AE33. Intercomparison studies show excellent reproducibility of the AE33 measurements and very good agreement with post-processed data obtained using earlier Aethalometer models and other filter-based absorption photometers. The real-time loading effect compensation algorithm provides the high-quality data necessary for real-time source apportionment and for determination of the temporal variation of the compensation parameter k.
General overview: European Integrated project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality interactions (EUCAARI) – integrating aerosol research from nano to global scales
2011, Kulmala, M., Asmi, A., Lappalainen, H.K., Carslaw, K.S., Pöschl, U., Baltensperger, U., Hov, Ø., Brenquier, J.-L., Pandis, S.N., Facchini, M.C., Hansson, H.-C., Wiedensohler, A., O'Dowd, C.D., Boers, R., Boucher, O., de Leeuw, G., Denier van der Gon, H.A.C., Feichter, J., Krejci, R., Laj, P., Lihavainen, H., Lohmann, U., McFiggans, G., Mentel, T., Pilinis, C., Riipinen, I., Schulz, M., Stohl, A., Swietlicki, E., Vignati, E., Alves, C., Amann, M., Ammann, M., Arabas, S., Artaxo, P., Baars, H., Beddows, D.C.S., Bergström, R., Beukes, J.P., Bilde, M., Burkhart, J.F., Canonaco, F., Clegg, S.L., Coe, H., Crumeyrolle, S., D'Anna, B., Decesari, S., Gilardoni, S., Fischer, M., Fjaeraa, A.M., Fountoukis, C., George, C., Gomes, L., Halloran, P., Hamburger, T., Harrison, R.M., Herrmann, H., Hoffmann, T., Hoose, C., Hu, M., Hyvärinen, A., Hõrrak, U., Iinuma, Y., Iversen, T., Josipovic, M., Kanakidou, M., Kiendler-Scharr, A., Kirkevåg, A., Kiss, G., Klimont, Z., Kolmonen, P., Komppula, M., Kristjánsson, J.-E., Laakso, L., Laaksonen, A., Labonnote, L., Lanz, V.A., Lehtinen, K.E.J., Rizzo, L.V., Makkonen, R., Manninen, H.E., McMeeking, G., Merikanto, J., Minikin, A., Mirme, S., Morgan, W.T., Nemitz, E., O'Donnell, D., Panwar, T.S., Pawlowska, H., Petzold, A., Pienaar, J.J., Pio, C., Plass-Duelmer, C., Prévôt, A.S.H., Pryor, S., Reddington, C.L., Roberts, G., Rosenfeld, D., Schwarz, J., Seland, Ø., Sellegri, K., Shen, X.J., Shiraiwa, M., Siebert, H., Sierau, B., Simpson, D., Sun, J.Y., Topping, D., Tunved, P., Vaattovaara, P., Vakkari, V., Veefkind, J.P., Visschedijk, A., Vuollekoski, H., Vuolo, R., Wehner, B., Wildt, J., Woodward, S., Worsnop, D.R., van Zadelhoff, G.-J., Zardini, A.A., Zhang, K., van Zyl, P.G., Kerminen, V.-M.
In this paper we describe and summarize the main achievements of the European Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality Interactions project (EUCAARI). EUCAARI started on 1 January 2007 and ended on 31 December 2010 leaving a rich legacy including: (a) a comprehensive database with a year of observations of the physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosol particles over Europe, (b) comprehensive aerosol measurements in four developing countries, (c) a database of airborne measurements of aerosols and clouds over Europe during May 2008, (d) comprehensive modeling tools to study aerosol processes fron nano to global scale and their effects on climate and air quality. In addition a new Pan-European aerosol emissions inventory was developed and evaluated, a new cluster spectrometer was built and tested in the field and several new aerosol parameterizations and computations modules for chemical transport and global climate models were developed and evaluated. These achievements and related studies have substantially improved our understanding and reduced the uncertainties of aerosol radiative forcing and air quality-climate interactions. The EUCAARI results can be utilized in European and global environmental policy to assess the aerosol impacts and the corresponding abatement strategies.
Wintertime aerosol chemical composition and source apportionment of the organic fraction in the metropolitan area of Paris
2013, Crippa, M., DeCarlo, P.F., Slowik, J.G., Mohr, C., Heringa, M.F., Chirico, R., Poulain, L., Freutel, F., Sciare, J., Cozic, J., Di Marco, C.F., Elsasser, M., Nicolas, B., Marchand, N., Abidi, E., Wiedensohler, A., Drewnick, F., Schneider, J., Borrmann, S., Nemitz, E., Zimmermann, R., Jaffrezo, J.-L., Prévôt, A.S.H., Baltensperger, U.
The effect of a post-industrial megacity on local and regional air quality was assessed via a month-long field measurement campaign in the Paris metropolitan area during winter 2010. Here we present source apportionment results from three aerosol mass spectrometers and two aethalometers deployed at three measurement stations within the Paris region. Submicron aerosol composition is dominated by the organic fraction (30–36%) and nitrate (28–29%), with lower contributions from sulfate (14–16%), ammonium (12–14%) and black carbon (7–13%). Organic source apportionment was performed using positive matrix factorization, resulting in a set of organic factors corresponding both to primary emission sources and secondary production. The dominant primary sources are traffic (11–15% of organic mass), biomass burning (13–15%) and cooking (up to 35% during meal hours). Secondary organic aerosol contributes more than 50% to the total organic mass and includes a highly oxidized factor from indeterminate and/or diverse sources and a less oxidized factor related to wood burning emissions. Black carbon was apportioned to traffic and wood burning sources using a model based on wavelength-dependent light absorption of these two combustion sources. The time series of organic and black carbon factors from related sources were strongly correlated. The similarities in aerosol composition, total mass and temporal variation between the three sites suggest that particulate pollution in Paris is dominated by regional factors, and that the emissions from Paris itself have a relatively low impact on its surroundings.