Articles | Volume 17, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4229-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4229-2017
Research article
 | 
29 Mar 2017
Research article |  | 29 Mar 2017

Evaluation of the absorption Ångström exponents for traffic and wood burning in the Aethalometer-based source apportionment using radiocarbon measurements of ambient aerosol

Peter Zotter, Hanna Herich, Martin Gysel, Imad El-Haddad, Yanlin Zhang, Griša Močnik, Christoph Hüglin, Urs Baltensperger, Sönke Szidat, and André S. H. Prévôt

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Cited articles

Alfarra, M. R., Prevot, A. S. H., Szidat, S., Sandradewi, J., Weimer, S., Lanz, V. A., Schreiber, D., Mohr, M., and Baltensperger, U.: Identification of the mass spectral signature of organic aerosols from wood burning emissions, Environ. Sci. Technol., 41, 5770–5777, https://doi.org/10.1021/es062289b, 2007.
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Barmpadimos, I., Keller, J., Oderbolz, D., Hueglin, C., and Prévôt, A. S. H.: One decade of parallel fine (PM2. 5) and coarse (PM10-PM2. 5) particulate matter measurements in Europe: trends and variability, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 3189–3203, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-3189-2012, 2012.
Bernardoni, V., Calzolai, G., Chiari, M., Fedi, M., Lucarelli, F., Nava, S., Piazzalunga, A., Riccobono, F., Taccetti, F., Valli, G., and Vecchi, R.: Radiocarbon analysis on organic and elemental carbon in aerosol samples and source apportionment at an urban site in Northern Italy, J. Aerosol Sci., 56, 88–99, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2012.06.001, 2013.
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Short summary
Most studies use a single Ångström exponent for wood burning (αWB) and traffic (αTR) emissions in the Aethalometer model, used for source apportionment of black carbon, derived from previous work. However, accurate determination of the α values is currently lacking. Comparing radiocarbon measurements (14C) with the Aehtalometer model, good agreement was found, indicating that the Aethalometer model reproduces reasonably well the 14C results using our best estimate of a single αWB and αTR.
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