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    Measuring the morphology and density of internally mixed black carbon with SP2 and VTDMA: New insight into the absorption enhancement of black carbon in the atmosphere
    (München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2016) Zhang, Yuxuan; Zhang, Qiang; Cheng, Yafang; Su, Hang; Kecorius, Simonas; Wang, Zhibin; Wu, Zhijun; Hu, Min; Zhu, Tong; Wiedensohler, Alfred; He, Kebin
    The morphology and density of black carbon (BC) cores in internally mixed BC (In-BC) particles affect their mixing state and absorption enhancement. In this work, we developed a new method to measure the morphology and effective density of the BC cores of ambient In-BC particles using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2) and a volatility tandem differential mobility analyzer (VTDMA) during the CAREBeijing-2013 campaign from 8 to 27 July 2013 at Xianghe Observatory. This new measurement system can select size-resolved ambient In-BC particles and measure the mobility diameter and mass of the In-BC cores. The morphology and effective density of the ambient In-BC cores are then calculated. For the In-BC cores in the atmosphere, changes in their dynamic shape factor (χ) and effective density (ρeff) can be characterized as a function of the aging process (Dp∕Dc) measured by SP2 and VTDMA. During an intensive field study, the ambient In-BC cores had an average shape factor χ of  ∼ 1.2 and an average density of  ∼ 1.2 g cm−3, indicating that ambient In-BC cores have a near-spherical shape with an internal void of  ∼ 30 %. From the measured morphology and density, the average shell ∕ core ratio and absorption enhancement (Eab) of ambient BC were estimated to be 2.1–2.7 and 1.6–1.9, respectively, for In-BC particles with sizes of 200–350 nm. When the In-BC cores were assumed to have a void-free BC sphere with a density of 1.8 g cm−3, the shell ∕ core ratio and Eab were overestimated by  ∼ 13 and  ∼ 17 %, respectively. The new approach developed in this work improves the calculations of the mixing state and optical properties of ambient In-BC particles by quantifying the changes in the morphology and density of ambient In-BC cores during aging.
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    Physico-Chemical Properties and Deposition Potential of PM2.5 during Severe Smog Event in Delhi, India
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2022) Fatima, Sadaf; Mishra, Sumit Kumar; Ahlawat, Ajit; Dimri, Ashok Priyadarshan
    The present work studies a severe smog event that occurred in Delhi (India) in 2017, targeting the characterization of PM2.5 and its deposition potential in human respiratory tract of different population groups in which the PM2.5 levels raised from 124.0 µg/m3 (pre-smog period) to 717.2 µg/m3 (during smog period). Higher concentration of elements such as C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Fe, Cl, Ca, Ti, Cr, Pb, Fe, K, Cu, Cl, P, and F were observed during the smog along with dominant organic functional groups (aldehyde, ketones, alkyl halides (R-F; R-Br; R-Cl), ether, etc.), which supported potential contribution from transboundary biomass-burning activities along with local pollution sources and favorable meteorological conditions. The morphology of individual particles were found mostly as non-spherical, including carbon fractals, aggregates, sharp-edged, rod-shaped, and flaky structures. A multiple path particle dosimetry (MPPD) model showed significant deposition potential of PM2.5 in terms of deposition fraction, mass rate, and mass flux during smog conditions in all age groups. The highest PM2.5 deposition fraction and mass rate were found for the head region followed by the alveolar region of the human respiratory tract. The highest mass flux was reported for 21-month-old (4.7 × 102 µg/min/m2), followed by 3-month-old (49.2 µg/min/m2) children, whereas it was lowest for 21-year-old adults (6.8 µg/min/m2), indicating babies and children were more vulnerable to PM2.5 pollution than adults during smog. Deposition doses of toxic elements such as Cr, Fe, Zn, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Ni were also found to be higher (up to 1 × 10−7 µg/kg/day) for children than adults.