Articles | Volume 17, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4711-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4711-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Apr 2017
Research article |
| 11 Apr 2017
Long-term air concentrations, wet deposition, and scavenging ratios of inorganic ions, HNO3, and SO2 and assessment of aerosol and precipitation acidity at Canadian rural locations
Irene Cheng
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3H 5T4, Canada
Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3H 5T4, Canada
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Xiaofei Qin, Leiming Zhang, Guochen Wang, Xiaohao Wang, Qingyan Fu, Jian Xu, Hao Li, Jia Chen, Qianbiao Zhao, Yanfen Lin, Juntao Huo, Fengwen Wang, Kan Huang, and Congrui Deng
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The uncertainties in mercury emissions are much larger from natural sources than anthropogenic sources. A method was developed to quantify the contributions of natural surface emissions to ambient GEM based on PMF modeling. The annual GEM concentration in eastern China showed a decreasing trend from 2015 to 2018, while the relative contribution of natural surface emissions increased significantly from 41 % in 2015 to 57 % in 2018, gradually surpassing those from anthropogenic sources.
Xiaohong Yao and Leiming Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 721–733, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-721-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-721-2020, 2020
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An innovative approach is developed to preprocess monitored wet deposition data of inorganic ions for generating their decadal trends. Differing from traditional approaches which directly apply annual or seasonal average data to trend analysis tools, the proposed new approach makes use of slopes of regression equations between a series of study years and a climatology (base) year in terms of monthly averaged data. The new approach yields more robust results than the traditional tools.
Jun Tao, Zhisheng Zhang, Yunfei Wu, Leiming Zhang, Zhijun Wu, Peng Cheng, Mei Li, Laiguo Chen, Renjian Zhang, and Junji Cao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 8471–8490, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8471-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8471-2019, 2019
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Yang Chen, Mi Tian, Ru-Jin Huang, Guangming Shi, Huanbo Wang, Chao Peng, Junji Cao, Qiyuan Wang, Shumin Zhang, Dongmei Guo, Leiming Zhang, and Fumo Yang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 3245–3255, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-3245-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-3245-2019, 2019
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Amine-containing particles were characterized in an urban area of Chongqing during both summer and winter using a single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS). Amines were observed to internally mix with elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), sulfate, and nitrate. Diethylamine (DEA) was the most abundant in both number and peak area among amine-containing particles. Vegetation and traffic were the primary sources of particulate amines.
Xin Qiu, Irene Cheng, Fuquan Yang, Erin Horb, Leiming Zhang, and Tom Harner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 3457–3467, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3457-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3457-2018, 2018
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We developed emissions databases for polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in the Athabasca oil sands region and evaluated the emissions databases by comparing CALPUFF-modelled concentrations with monitored data. Model–measurement agreement improved near oil sands mines due to updated PAC emissions from tailings ponds. Modelled concentrations were underestimated at remote sites and for alkylated PACs suggesting that the emissions of PACs particularly alkylated compounds are underestimated.
Cynthia H. Whaley, Paul A. Makar, Mark W. Shephard, Leiming Zhang, Junhua Zhang, Qiong Zheng, Ayodeji Akingunola, Gregory R. Wentworth, Jennifer G. Murphy, Shailesh K. Kharol, and Karen E. Cady-Pereira
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 2011–2034, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2011-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2011-2018, 2018
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Using a modified air quality forecasting model, we have found that a significant fraction (> 50 %) of ambient ammonia comes from re-emission from plants and soils in the broader Athabasca Oil Sands region and much of Alberta and Saskatchewan. We also found that about 20 % of ambient ammonia in Alberta and Saskatchewan came from forest fires in the summer of 2013. The addition of these two processes improved modelled ammonia, which was a motivating factor in undertaking this research.
Huanbo Wang, Mi Tian, Yang Chen, Guangming Shi, Yuan Liu, Fumo Yang, Leiming Zhang, Liqun Deng, Jiayan Yu, Chao Peng, and Xuyao Cao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 865–881, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-865-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-865-2018, 2018
Huiting Mao, Dolly Hall, Zhuyun Ye, Ying Zhou, Dirk Felton, and Leiming Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11655–11671, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11655-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11655-2017, 2017
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Jun Tao, Leiming Zhang, Junji Cao, and Renjian Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9485–9518, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9485-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9485-2017, 2017
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Leiming Zhang, Seth Lyman, Huiting Mao, Che-Jen Lin, David A. Gay, Shuxiao Wang, Mae Sexauer Gustin, Xinbin Feng, and Frank Wania
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9133–9144, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9133-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9133-2017, 2017
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Future research needs are proposed for improving the understanding of atmospheric mercury cycling. These include refinement of mercury emission estimations, quantification of dry deposition and air–surface exchange, improvement of the treatment of chemical mechanisms in chemical transport models, increase in the accuracy of oxidized mercury measurements, better interpretation of atmospheric mercury chemistry data, and harmonization of network operation.
Yunfei Wu, Xiaojia Wang, Jun Tao, Rujin Huang, Ping Tian, Junji Cao, Leiming Zhang, Kin-Fai Ho, Zhiwei Han, and Renjian Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7965–7975, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7965-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7965-2017, 2017
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As black carbon (BC) aerosols play an important role in the climate and environment, the size distribution of refractory BC (rBC) was investigated. On this basis, the source of rBC was further analyzed. The local traffic exhausts contributed greatly to the rBC in urban areas. However, its contribution decreased significantly in the polluted period compared to the clean period, implying the increasing contribution of other sources, e.g., coal combustion or biomass burning, in the polluted period.
Xiaohong Xu, Yanyin Liao, Irene Cheng, and Leiming Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 1381–1400, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1381-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1381-2017, 2017
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This study addresses two issues related to source–receptor analysis of speciated atmospheric mercury: (1) comparing PMF and PCA and (2) testing different approaches in data selection for PMF modeling.
L. Paige Wright, Leiming Zhang, and Frank J. Marsik
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 13399–13416, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13399-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13399-2016, 2016
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The current knowledge concerning mercury dry deposition is reviewed, including dry deposition algorithms used in chemical transport models and at monitoring sites, measurement methods and studies for quantifying dry deposition of oxidized mercury, and measurement studies of litterfall and throughfall mercury. Over all the regions, dry deposition, estimated as the sum of litterfall and throughfall minus open-field wet deposition, is more dominant than wet deposition for Hg deposition.
Huiting Mao, Irene Cheng, and Leiming Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 12897–12924, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12897-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12897-2016, 2016
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Understanding of spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric speciated mercury can advance our knowledge of mercury cycling in various environments. This review summarized spatiotemporal variations of TGM/GEM, GOM, and PBM in environments including oceans, continents, high elevation, the free troposphere, and low to high latitudes. Remaining questions/issues and recommendations were provided for future research.
Xiaohong Yao and Leiming Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 11465–11475, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11465-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11465-2016, 2016
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Atmospheric NH3 plays an important role in forming secondary aerosols and has a direct impact on sensitive ecosystems. This study aims to study its long-term variation and find that the long-term trend can be affected by climate change as well as other anthropogenic factors, depending on sites. A large percentage increase of atmospheric NH3 at remote American sites is surprising and may cause a potential threat to sensitive ecosystems in the future.
Xiaodong Zhang, Tao Huang, Leiming Zhang, Yanjie Shen, Yuan Zhao, Hong Gao, Xiaoxuan Mao, Chenhui Jia, and Jianmin Ma
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 6949–6960, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-6949-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-6949-2016, 2016
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This paper assesses long-term trend of biogenic isoprene emissions in the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, also known as "the Green Great Wall", the largest artificial afforestation in the human history. Results show that the TNRSF has altered the long-term emission trend in north China from a decreasing to an increasing trend from 1982 to 2010. Isoprene emission fluxes have increased in many places of the TNRSF over the last 3 decades due to the growing trees and vegetation coverage.
Lei Zhang, Shuxiao Wang, Qingru Wu, Fengyang Wang, Che-Jen Lin, Leiming Zhang, Mulin Hui, Mei Yang, Haitao Su, and Jiming Hao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 2417–2433, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2417-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2417-2016, 2016
C. G. Nolte, K. W. Appel, J. T. Kelly, P. V. Bhave, K. M. Fahey, J. L. Collett Jr., L. Zhang, and J. O. Young
Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 2877–2892, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-2877-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-2877-2015, 2015
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This study is the most comprehensive evaluation of CMAQ inorganic
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methods of inferring PM2.5 concentrations from the model: (1) based on
the sum of the masses in the fine aerosol modes, as is most commonly
done in CMAQ model evaluation; and (2) computed using the simulated size
distributions. Differences are generally less than 1 microgram/m3, and
are largest over the eastern USA during the summer.
I. Cheng, X. Xu, and L. Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 7877–7895, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7877-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7877-2015, 2015
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Current knowledge of receptor-based studies using speciated atmospheric mercury is reviewed and recommendations for future research needs are provided.
Z. Y. Wu, L. Zhang, X. M. Wang, and J. W. Munger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 7487–7496, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7487-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7487-2015, 2015
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In this study, we have developed a modified micrometeorological gradient method (MGM), although based on existing micrometeorological theory, to estimate O3 dry deposition fluxes over a forest canopy using concentration gradients between a level above and a level below the canopy top. The new method provides an alternative approach in monitoring/estimating long-term deposition fluxes of similar pollutants over tall canopies and is expected to be useful for the scientific community.
L. Zhang, I. Cheng, D. Muir, and J.-P. Charland
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 1421–1434, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1421-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1421-2015, 2015
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This study analyzed air and precipitation concentrations of 43 polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) collected in the Athabasca oil sands region. A database has been built for the parameter scavenging ratio, which is defined as the ratio of the concentration of PACs in precipitation to that in air. A better understanding of the potential differences between gas and particulate scavenging and between snow and rain scavenging has been achieved.
J. Tao, J. Gao, L. Zhang, R. Zhang, H. Che, Z. Zhang, Z. Lin, J. Jing, J. Cao, and S.-C. Hsu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 8679–8699, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8679-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8679-2014, 2014
Z. J. Lin, Z. S. Zhang, L. Zhang, J. Tao, R. J. Zhang, J. J. Cao, S. J. Fan, and Y. H. Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 7631–7644, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-7631-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-7631-2014, 2014
D. Wen, L. Zhang, J. C. Lin, R. Vet, and M. D. Moran
Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 1037–1050, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-1037-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-1037-2014, 2014
X. Wang, L. Zhang, and M. D. Moran
Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 799–819, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-799-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-799-2014, 2014
L. Zhang and Z. He
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3729–3737, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3729-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3729-2014, 2014
X. H. Yao and L. Zhang
Biogeosciences, 10, 7913–7925, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7913-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7913-2013, 2013
S. Chen, X. Qiu, L. Zhang, F. Yang, and P. Blanchard
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 11287–11293, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-11287-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-11287-2013, 2013
L. Zhang, X. Wang, M. D. Moran, and J. Feng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 10005–10025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10005-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10005-2013, 2013
I. Cheng, L. Zhang, P. Blanchard, J. Dalziel, and R. Tordon
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 6031–6048, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-6031-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-6031-2013, 2013
G. Kos, A. Ryzhkov, A. Dastoor, J. Narayan, A. Steffen, P. A. Ariya, and L. Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 4839–4863, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-4839-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-4839-2013, 2013
D. Wen, J. C. Lin, L. Zhang, R. Vet, and M. D. Moran
Geosci. Model Dev., 6, 327–344, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-327-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-327-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Aerosols | Research Activity: Atmospheric Modelling and Data Analysis | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Chemistry (chemical composition and reactions)
Enhanced atmospheric oxidation and particle reductions driving changes to nitrate formation mechanisms across coastal and inland regions of north China
Atmospheric fate of organosulfates through gas-phase and aqueous-phase reactions with hydroxyl radicals: implications for inorganic sulfate formation
Opinion: The role of AerChemMIP in advancing climate and air quality research
Uncertainties in the effects of organic aerosol coatings on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations and their estimated health effects
Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effect
Implications of reduced-complexity aerosol thermodynamics on organic aerosol mass concentration and composition over North America
Global modeling of brown carbon: impact of temperature- and humidity-dependent bleaching
Trends and drivers of soluble iron deposition from East Asian dust to the Northwest Pacific: a springtime analysis (2001–2017)
Modelling of atmospheric variability in gas and aerosols during the ACROSS campaign 2022 of the greater Paris area: evaluation of the meteorology, dynamics and chemistry
Spatial–temporal patterns in anthropogenic and biomass burning emission contributions to air pollution and mortality burden changes in India from 1995 to 2014
A comprehensive global modeling assessment of nitrate heterogeneous formation on desert dust
AERO-MAP: a data compilation and modeling approach to understand spatial variability in fine- and coarse-mode aerosol composition
Long-term trends in aerosol properties derived from AERONET measurements
Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis kinetics of organic hydroperoxides: Computational strategy and structure-activity relationship
Impacts of sea ice leads on sea salt aerosols and atmospheric chemistry in the Arctic
Dimethyl sulfide chemistry over the industrial era: comparison of key oxidation mechanisms and long-term observations
Driving factors of aerosol acidity: a new hierarchical quantitative analysis framework and its application in Changzhou, China
Understanding the long-term trend of organic aerosol and the influences from anthropogenic emission and regional climate change in China
Competing multiple oxidation pathways shape atmospheric limonene-derived organonitrates simulated with updated explicit chemical mechanisms
Population exposure to outdoor NO2, black carbon, and ultrafine and fine particles over Paris with multi-scale modelling down to the street scale
Predicted impacts of heterogeneous chemical pathways on particulate sulfur over Fairbanks (Alaska), the Northern Hemisphere, and the Contiguous United States
Critical load exceedances for North America and Europe using an ensemble of models and an investigation of causes of environmental impact estimate variability: an AQMEII4 study
The influence of ammonia emissions on the size-resolved global atmospheric aerosol composition and acidity
Toxic Dust Emission from Drought-Exposed Lakebeds – A New Air Pollution Threat from Dried Lakes
Observationally Constrained Analysis on the Distribution of Fine and Coarse Mode Nitrate in Global Climate Models
Dust pollution substantially weakens the impact of ammonia emission reduction on particulate nitrate formation
Impacts of meteorology and emission reductions on haze pollution during the lockdown in the North China Plain
Impact of mineral dust on the global nitrate aerosol direct and indirect radiative effect
Aerosol impacts on regional climate: chaotic or physical effect?
The surface tension and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation of sea spray aerosol particles
Exploring the processes controlling secondary inorganic aerosol: evaluating the global GEOS-Chem simulation using a suite of aircraft campaigns
Incorporation of multi-phase halogen chemistry into Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model
Changes in the impacts of ship emissions on PM2.5 and its components in China under the staged fuel oil policies
Influence of land cover change on atmospheric organic gases, aerosols, and radiative effects
Quantifying the impacts of marine aerosols over the southeast Atlantic Ocean using a chemical transport model: implications for aerosol–cloud interactions
Quantifying the impact of global nitrate aerosol on tropospheric composition fields and its production from lightning NOx
Aerosol Composition Trends during 2000–2020: In depth insights from model predictions and multiple worldwide observation datasets
Rapid oxidation of phenolic compounds by O3 and HO●: effects of the air–water interface and mineral dust in tropospheric chemical processes
Modeling the contribution of leads to sea spray aerosol in the high Arctic
Importance of aerosol composition and aerosol vertical profiles in global spatial variation in the relationship between PM2.5 and aerosol optical depth
The co-benefits of a low-carbon future for PM2.5 and O3 air pollution in Europe
Assessing the effectiveness of SO2, NOx, and NH3 emission reductions in mitigating winter PM2.5 in Taiwan using CMAQ
Modelling of atmospheric concentrations of fungal spores: a 2-year simulation over France using CHIMERE
Cluster-dynamics-based parameterization for sulfuric acid–dimethylamine nucleation: comparison and selection through box and three-dimensional modeling
Observed and CMIP6-model-simulated organic aerosol response to drought in the contiguous United States during summertime
Cooling radiative forcing effect enhancement of atmospheric amines and mineral particles caused by heterogeneous uptake and oxidation
Source-resolved atmospheric metal emissions, concentrations, and deposition fluxes into the East Asian seas
Analysis of secondary inorganic aerosols over the greater Athens area using the EPISODE–CityChem source dispersion and photochemistry model
Global estimates of ambient reactive nitrogen components during 2000–2100 based on the multi-stage model
The role of naphthalene and its derivatives in the formation of secondary organic aerosol in the Yangtze River Delta region, China
Zhenze Liu, Jianhua Qi, Yuanzhe Ni, Likun Xue, and Xiaohuan Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 8719–8742, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8719-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8719-2025, 2025
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Our research investigated nitrate formation in air pollution across inland and coastal cities in northern China during the winters of 2013 and 2018. Using air quality models and isotopic analysis, we identified regional differences, with coastal cities showing more contribution from the dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) heterogeneous reaction. Reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ammonia (NH3) was crucial for lowering nitrate levels and improving air quality.
Narcisse Tsona Tchinda, Xiaofan Lv, Stanley Numbonui Tasheh, Julius Numbonui Ghogomu, and Lin Du
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 8575–8590, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8575-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8575-2025, 2025
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This study examines the transformation of organosulfates through reaction with HO• radicals. The results show that the nature of substituents on the carbon chain can effectively affect the decomposition rate of organosulfates, and ozone is unveiled as a complementary oxidant in the intermediate steps of this decomposition. The primary products from these reactions include carbonyl compounds and inorganic sulfate, which highlights the role of organosulfates in altering aerosol chemical composition.
Paul T. Griffiths, Laura J. Wilcox, Robert J. Allen, Vaishali Naik, Fiona M. O'Connor, Michael Prather, Alex Archibald, Florence Brown, Makoto Deushi, William Collins, Stephanie Fiedler, Naga Oshima, Lee T. Murray, Bjørn H. Samset, Chris Smith, Steven Turnock, Duncan Watson-Parris, and Paul J. Young
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 8289–8328, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8289-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8289-2025, 2025
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The Aerosol Chemistry Model Intercomparison Project (AerChemMIP) aimed to quantify the climate and air quality impacts of aerosols and chemically reactive gases. We review its contribution to AR6 (Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and the wider understanding of the role of these species in climate and climate change. We identify challenges and provide recommendations to improve the utility and uptake of climate model data, detailed summary tables of CMIP6 models, experiments, and emergent diagnostics.
Sijia Lou, Manish Shrivastava, Alexandre Albinet, Sophie Tomaz, Deepchandra Srivastava, Olivier Favez, Huizhong Shen, and Aijun Ding
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 8163–8183, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8163-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8163-2025, 2025
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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), emitted from incomplete combustion, pose serious health risks due to their carcinogenic properties. This research demonstrates that viscous organic aerosol coatings significantly hinder PAH oxidation, with spatial distributions sensitive to the degradation modeling approach. Our findings emphasize the need for accurate modeling of PAH oxidation processes in risk assessments, considering both fresh and oxidized PAHs in evaluating human health risks.
Jiamao Zhou, Jiarui Wu, Xiaoli Su, Ruonan Wang, Imad EI Haddad, Xia Li, Qian Jiang, Ting Zhang, Wenting Dai, Junji Cao, Andre S. H. Prevot, Xuexi Tie, and Guohui Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7563–7580, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7563-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7563-2025, 2025
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Brown carbon (BrC) is a type of airborne particle produced from various combustion sources which is light absorption. Historically, climate models have categorizing organic particles as either non-absorbing or purely reflective. Our study shows that BrC can reduce the usual cooling effect of organic particles. While BrC is often linked to biomass burning, however, BrC from fossil fuels contributes significantly to atmospheric heating.
Camilo Serrano Damha, Kyle Gorkowski, and Andreas Zuend
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5773–5792, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5773-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5773-2025, 2025
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We implemented the BAT-VBS (Binary Activity Thermodynamics volatility basis set) aerosol thermodynamics model in the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to efficiently account for organic aerosol water uptake, nonideal mixing, and impacts on the gas–particle partitioning of semi-volatile organics. Compared to GEOS-Chem's complex (dry) scheme, we show that the BAT-VBS model can predict substantial enhancements in organic aerosol mass concentration at moderate-to-high relative humidity.
Xinchun Xie, Yuzhong Zhang, Ruosi Liang, and Xuan Wang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2305, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2305, 2025
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Brown carbon (BrC), mainly from biomass burning, absorbs short wavelength sunlight and affects climate and atmospheric chemistry. This study implemented an improved parameterization of BrC bleaching in a model with which BrC can survive much longer in cold, dry air, especially when lofted into the upper atmosphere by wildfires. The results reveal stronger warming effects and impacts on atmospheric oxidation, highlighting the need to consider BrC in climate and pollution control strategies.
Hanzheng Zhu, Yaman Liu, Man Yue, Shihui Feng, Pingqing Fu, Kan Huang, Xinyi Dong, and Minghuai Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5175–5197, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5175-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5175-2025, 2025
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Dust-soluble iron deposition from East Asia plays an important role in the marine ecology of the Northwest Pacific. Using the developed model, our findings highlight a dual trend: a decrease in the overall deposition of soluble iron from dust but an increase in the solubility of the iron itself due to the enhanced atmospheric processing. The study underscores the critical roles of both dust emission and atmospheric processing in soluble iron deposition and marine ecology.
Ludovico Di Antonio, Matthias Beekmann, Guillaume Siour, Vincent Michoud, Christopher Cantrell, Astrid Bauville, Antonin Bergé, Mathieu Cazaunau, Servanne Chevaillier, Manuela Cirtog, Joel F. de Brito, Paola Formenti, Cecile Gaimoz, Olivier Garret, Aline Gratien, Valérie Gros, Martial Haeffelin, Lelia N. Hawkins, Simone Kotthaus, Gael Noyalet, Diana L. Pereira, Jean-Eudes Petit, Eva Drew Pronovost, Véronique Riffault, Chenjie Yu, Gilles Foret, Jean-François Doussin, and Claudia Di Biagio
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4803–4831, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4803-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4803-2025, 2025
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The summer of 2022 has been considered a proxy for future climate scenarios due to its hot and dry conditions. In this paper, we use the measurements from the Atmospheric Chemistry of the Suburban Forest (ACROSS) campaign, conducted in the Paris area in June–July 2022, along with observations from existing networks, to evaluate a 3D chemistry transport model (WRF–CHIMERE) simulation. Results are shown to be satisfactory, allowing us to explain the gas and aerosol variability at the campaign sites.
Bin Luo, Yuqiang Zhang, Tao Tang, Hongliang Zhang, Jianlin Hu, Jiangshan Mu, Wenxing Wang, and Likun Xue
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4767–4783, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4767-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4767-2025, 2025
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India is facing a severe air pollution crisis that poses significant health risks, particularly from PM2.5 and O3. Our study reveals rising levels of both pollutants from 1995 to 2014, leading to increased premature mortality. While anthropogenic emissions play a significant role, biomass burning also impacts air quality, in particular seasons and regions in India. This study underscores the urgent need for localized policies to protect public health amid escalating environmental challenges.
Rubén Soussé Villa, Oriol Jorba, María Gonçalves Ageitos, Dene Bowdalo, Marc Guevara, and Carlos Pérez García-Pando
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4719–4753, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4719-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4719-2025, 2025
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Desert dust forms nitrate coatings as it travels through the atmosphere. However, current models that predict this process vary greatly due to different methods and inaccuracies. We examined how nitrate forms in a global model, focusing on how gases condense on dust, the lifespan of different particles, and the impact of alkalinity. Our findings show that models work best when they consider reversible gas condensation with alkalinity. This should lead to better estimates of climate impacts.
Natalie M. Mahowald, Longlei Li, Julius Vira, Marje Prank, Douglas S. Hamilton, Hitoshi Matsui, Ron L. Miller, P. Louis Lu, Ezgi Akyuz, Daphne Meidan, Peter Hess, Heikki Lihavainen, Christine Wiedinmyer, Jenny Hand, Maria Grazia Alaimo, Célia Alves, Andres Alastuey, Paulo Artaxo, Africa Barreto, Francisco Barraza, Silvia Becagli, Giulia Calzolai, Shankararaman Chellam, Ying Chen, Patrick Chuang, David D. Cohen, Cristina Colombi, Evangelia Diapouli, Gaetano Dongarra, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Johann Engelbrecht, Corinne Galy-Lacaux, Cassandra Gaston, Dario Gomez, Yenny González Ramos, Roy M. Harrison, Chris Heyes, Barak Herut, Philip Hopke, Christoph Hüglin, Maria Kanakidou, Zsofia Kertesz, Zbigniew Klimont, Katriina Kyllönen, Fabrice Lambert, Xiaohong Liu, Remi Losno, Franco Lucarelli, Willy Maenhaut, Beatrice Marticorena, Randall V. Martin, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Yasser Morera-Gómez, Adina Paytan, Joseph Prospero, Sergio Rodríguez, Patricia Smichowski, Daniela Varrica, Brenna Walsh, Crystal L. Weagle, and Xi Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4665–4702, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4665-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4665-2025, 2025
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Aerosol particles are an important part of the Earth system, but their concentrations are spatially and temporally heterogeneous, as well as being variable in size and composition. Here, we present a new compilation of PM2.5 and PM10 aerosol observations, focusing on the spatial variability across different observational stations, including composition, and demonstrate a method for comparing the data sets to model output.
Zhenyu Zhang, Jing Li, Huizheng Che, Yueming Dong, Oleg Dubovik, Thomas Eck, Pawan Gupta, Brent Holben, Jhoon Kim, Elena Lind, Trailokya Saud, Sachchida Nand Tripathi, and Tong Ying
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4617–4637, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4617-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4617-2025, 2025
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We used ground-based remote sensing data from the Aerosol Robotic Network to examine long-term trends in aerosol characteristics. We found aerosol loadings generally decreased globally, and aerosols became more scattering. These changes are closely related to variations in aerosol compositions, such as decreased anthropogenic emissions over East Asia, Europe, and North America; increased anthropogenic sources over northern India; and increased dust activity over the Arabian Peninsula.
Qiaojing Zhao, Fangfang Ma, Hui Zhao, Qian Xu, Rujing Yin, Hong-Bin Xie, Xin Wang, and Jingwen Chen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1662, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1662, 2025
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The scarcity of kinetic data for key aerosol aqueous-phase reactions contributes to large uncertainties in atmospheric models. We establish a computational strategy to rapidly predict acid-catalyzed hydrolysis kinetics of organic hydroperoxides, an aerosol constituent with high abundance. The kinetic parameters can be integrated into atmospheric models to improve simulations of the global hydrogen peroxide budget and secondary organic aerosol production.
Erin J. Emme and Hannah M. Horowitz
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4531–4545, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4531-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4531-2025, 2025
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There is uncertainty in the sources of Arctic cold-season (November–April) sea salt aerosols. Using a chemical transport model and satellite observations, we quantify Arctic-wide sea salt aerosol emissions from fractures in sea ice, called open sea ice leads, and their atmospheric chemistry impacts for the cold season. We show that sea ice leads contribute to Arctic sea salt aerosols and bromine, especially in under-observed regions.
Ursula A. Jongebloed, Jacob I. Chalif, Linia Tashmim, William C. Porter, Kelvin H. Bates, Qianjie Chen, Erich C. Osterberg, Bess G. Koffman, Jihong Cole-Dai, Dominic A. Winski, David G. Ferris, Karl J. Kreutz, Cameron P. Wake, and Becky Alexander
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4083–4106, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4083-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4083-2025, 2025
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Marine phytoplankton emit dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which forms methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and sulfate. MSA concentrations in ice cores decreased over the industrial era, which has been attributed to pollution-driven changes in DMS chemistry. We use a model to investigate DMS chemistry compared to observations of DMS, MSA, and sulfate. We find that modeled DMS, MSA, and sulfate are influenced by pollution-sensitive oxidant concentrations, characterization of DMS chemistry, and other variables.
Xiaolin Duan, Guangjie Zheng, Chuchu Chen, Qiang Zhang, and Kebin He
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3919–3928, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3919-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3919-2025, 2025
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Aerosol acidity is an important parameter in atmospheric chemistry, while its driving factors, especially chemical profiles versus meteorological conditions, are not yet fully understood. Here, we established a hierarchical quantitative analysis framework to understand the driving factors of aerosol acidity on different timescales. Its application in Changzhou, China, revealed distinct driving factors and corresponding mechanisms of aerosol acidity from annual trends to random residuals.
Wenxin Zhang, Yaman Liu, Man Yue, Xinyi Dong, Kan Huang, and Minghuai Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3857–3872, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3857-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3857-2025, 2025
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Understanding long-term organic aerosol (OA) trends and their driving factors is important for air quality management. Our modeling revealed that OA in China increased by 5.6 % from 1990 to 2019, primarily due to a 32.3 % increase in secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) and an 8.1 % decrease in primary organic aerosols (POAs), both largely driven by changes in anthropogenic emissions. Biogenic SOA increased due to warming but showed little response to changes in anthropogenic nitrogen oxide emissions.
Qinghao Guo, Haofei Zhang, Bo Long, Lehui Cui, Yiyang Sun, Hao Liu, Yaxin Liu, Yunting Xiao, Pingqing Fu, and Jialei Zhu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1058, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1058, 2025
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Limonene, a natural compound from plants, reacts with pollutants to form airborne particles that influence air quality and climate. Using advanced models with explicit chemical mechanisms, we show how different reaction pathways shape organonitrate formation, with some increasing and others decreasing particle levels. This approach enhancing predictions of pollution and climate impacts while deepening our understanding of how natural and human-made emissions interact in the atmosphere.
Soo-Jin Park, Lya Lugon, Oscar Jacquot, Youngseob Kim, Alexia Baudic, Barbara D'Anna, Ludovico Di Antonio, Claudia Di Biagio, Fabrice Dugay, Olivier Favez, Véronique Ghersi, Aline Gratien, Julien Kammer, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Sanchez, Myrto Valari, Jérémy Vigneron, and Karine Sartelet
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3363–3387, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3363-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3363-2025, 2025
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To accurately represent the population exposure to outdoor concentrations of pollutants of interest to health (NO2, PM2.5, black carbon, and ultrafine particles), multi-scale modelling down to the street scale is set up and evaluated using measurements from field campaigns. An exposure scaling factor is defined, allowing regional-scale simulations to be corrected to evaluate population exposure. Urban heterogeneities strongly influence NO2, black carbon, and ultrafine particles but less strongly PM2.5.
Sara L. Farrell, Havala O. T. Pye, Robert Gilliam, George Pouliot, Deanna Huff, Golam Sarwar, William Vizuete, Nicole Briggs, Fengkui Duan, Tao Ma, Shuping Zhang, and Kathleen Fahey
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3287–3312, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3287-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3287-2025, 2025
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In this work we implement heterogeneous sulfur chemistry into the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. This new chemistry accounts for the formation of sulfate via aqueous oxidation of SO2 in aerosol liquid water and the formation of hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS) – often confused by measurement techniques as sulfate. Model performance in predicting sulfur PM2.5 in Fairbanks, Alaska, and other places that experience dark and cold winters is improved.
Paul A. Makar, Philip Cheung, Christian Hogrefe, Ayodeji Akingunola, Ummugulsum Alyuz, Jesse O. Bash, Michael D. Bell, Roberto Bellasio, Roberto Bianconi, Tim Butler, Hazel Cathcart, Olivia E. Clifton, Alma Hodzic, Ioannis Kioutsioukis, Richard Kranenburg, Aurelia Lupascu, Jason A. Lynch, Kester Momoh, Juan L. Perez-Camanyo, Jonathan Pleim, Young-Hee Ryu, Roberto San Jose, Donna Schwede, Thomas Scheuschner, Mark W. Shephard, Ranjeet S. Sokhi, and Stefano Galmarini
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3049–3107, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3049-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3049-2025, 2025
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The large range of sulfur and nitrogen deposition estimates from air quality models results in a large range of predicted impacts. We used models and deposition diagnostics to identify the processes controlling atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition variability. Controlling factors included the uptake of gases and aerosols by hydrometeors, aerosol inorganic chemistry, particle dry deposition, ammonia bidirectional fluxes, gas deposition via plant cuticles and soil, and land use data.
Xurong Wang, Alexandra P. Tsimpidi, Zhenqi Luo, Benedikt Steil, Andrea Pozzer, Jos Lelieveld, and Vlassis A. Karydis
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-527, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-527, 2025
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Ammonia (NH3) is an abundant alkaline gas and key precursor in particulate matter formation. While SO2 and NOx emissions have decreased, global NH3 emissions are stable or rising. This study investigates NH3 emission impacts on size-resolved aerosol composition and acidity using the EMAC model, analyzing three emission schemes. Sulphate-nitrate-ammonium aerosols in fine mode sizes are most sensitive to NH3 changes. Regional responses vary. NH3 buffers aerosol acidity, mitigating pH shifts.
Qianqian Gao, Guochao Chen, Xiaohui Lu, Jianmin Chen, Hongliang Zhang, and Xiaofei Wang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-596, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-596, 2025
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Numerous lakes are shrinking due to climate change and human activities, releasing pollutants from dried lakebeds as dust aerosols. The health risks remain unclear. Recently, Poyang and Dongting Lakes faced record droughts, exposing 99 % and 88 % of their areas. We show lakebed dust can raise PM10 to 637.5 μg/m³ and exceed non-carcinogenic (HQ=4.13) and Cr carcinogenic (~2.10×10⁻⁶) risk thresholds, posing growing health threats.
Mingxuan Wu, Hailong Wang, Zheng Lu, Xiaohong Liu, Huisheng Bian, David Cohen, Yan Feng, Mian Chin, Didier A. Hauglustaine, Vlassis A. Karydis, Marianne T. Lund, Gunnar Myhre, Andrea Pozzer, Michael Schulz, Ragnhild B. Skeie, Alexandra P. Tsimpidi, Svetlana G. Tsyro, and Shaocheng Xie
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-235, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-235, 2025
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A key challenge in simulating the lifecycle of nitrate aerosol in global climate models is to accurately represent mass size distribution of nitrate aerosol, which lacks sufficient observational constraints. We found that most climate models underestimate the mass fraction of fine-mode nitrate at surface in all regions. Our study highlights the importance of gas-aerosol partitioning parameterization and simulation of dust and sea salt in correctly simulating mass size distribution of nitrate.
Hanrui Lang, Yunjiang Zhang, Sheng Zhong, Yongcai Rao, Minfeng Zhou, Jian Qiu, Jingyi Li, Diwen Liu, Florian Couvidat, Olivier Favez, Didier Hauglustaine, and Xinlei Ge
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-231, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-231, 2025
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This study investigates how dust pollution influences particulate nitrate formation. We found that dust pollution could reduce the effectiveness of ammonia emission controls by altering aerosol chemistry. Using field observations and modeling, we showed that dust particles affect nitrate distribution between gas and particle phases. Our findings highlight the need for pollution control strategies that consider both human emissions and dust sources for better urban air quality management.
Lang Liu, Xin Long, Yi Li, Zengliang Zang, Fengwen Wang, Yan Han, Zhier Bao, Yang Chen, Tian Feng, and Jinxin Yang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1569–1585, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1569-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1569-2025, 2025
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This study uses WRF-Chem to assess how meteorological conditions and emission reductions affected fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the North China Plain (NCP). It highlights regional disparities: in the northern NCP, adverse weather negated emission reduction effects. In contrast, the southern NCP featured a PM2.5 decrease due to favorable weather and emission reductions. The research highlighted the interaction between emissions, meteorology, and PM2.5.
Alexandros Milousis, Klaus Klingmüller, Alexandra P. Tsimpidi, Jasper F. Kok, Maria Kanakidou, Athanasios Nenes, and Vlassis A. Karydis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1333–1351, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1333-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1333-2025, 2025
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This study investigates the impact of dust on the global radiative effect of nitrate aerosols. The results indicate both positive and negative regional shortwave and longwave radiative effects due to aerosol–radiation interactions and cloud adjustments. The global average net REari and REaci of nitrate aerosols are −0.11 and +0.17 W m−2, respectively, mainly affecting the shortwave spectrum. Sensitivity simulations evaluated the influence of mineral dust composition and emissions on the results.
Jiawang Feng, Chun Zhao, Jun Gu, Gudongze Li, Mingyue Xu, Shengfu Lin, and Jie Feng
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4037, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4037, 2025
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Climate models help study aerosol impacts on regional climate. However, the atmosphere's chaotic nature makes it hard to separate true aerosol impacts from chaotic effects. Our ensemble experiments show that while large-scale aerosol effects are consistent, regional aerosol impacts vary significantly among experiments. We give a formula showing the relationship between chaotic effects and ensemble sizes, emphasizing the necessity of adequate ensemble members to capture reliable aerosol impacts.
Judith Kleinheins, Nadia Shardt, Ulrike Lohmann, and Claudia Marcolli
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 881–903, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-881-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-881-2025, 2025
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We model the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation of sea spray aerosol particles with classical Köhler theory and with a new model approach that takes surface tension lowering into account. We categorize organic compounds into weak, intermediate, and strong surfactants, and we outline for which composition surface tension lowering is important. The results suggest that surface tension lowering allows sea spray aerosol particles in the Aitken mode to be a source of CCN in marine updraughts.
Olivia G. Norman, Colette L. Heald, Solomon Bililign, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Hugh Coe, Marc N. Fiddler, Jaime R. Green, Jose L. Jimenez, Katharina Kaiser, Jin Liao, Ann M. Middlebrook, Benjamin A. Nault, John B. Nowak, Johannes Schneider, and André Welti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 771–795, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-771-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-771-2025, 2025
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This study finds that one component of secondary inorganic aerosols, nitrate, is greatly overestimated by a global atmospheric chemistry model compared to observations from 11 flight campaigns. None of the loss and production pathways explored can explain the nitrate bias alone. The model’s inability to capture the variability in the observations remains and requires future investigation to avoid biases in policy-related studies (i.e., air quality, health, climate impacts of these aerosols).
Kiyeon Kim, Chul Han Song, Kyung Man Han, Greg Yarwood, Ross Beardsley, and Saewung Kim
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-23, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-23, 2025
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Despite the crucial role of halogen radicals in the atmosphere, the current CMAQ model does not account for multi-phase halogen processes. To address this issue, we incorporated 177 halogen reactions, together with anthropogenic and natural halogen emissions into the CMAQ model. Our findings reveal that incorporation of these halogen processes significantly improves model performances compared to ground observations. In addition, we emphasize the influence of halogen radicals on air quality.
Guangyuan Yu, Yan Zhang, Qian Wang, Zimin Han, Shenglan Jiang, Fan Yang, Xin Yang, and Cheng Huang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3892, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3892, 2025
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China has carried out staged low-sulfur fuel policies since 2017. This study simulated the changing spatiotemporal patterns of the impacts of ship emissions on PM2.5 from 2017 to 2021 based on the updated emission inventories and mapping of chemical species in the CMAQ. Fuel policies caused evident relative changes in inorganic and organic components of the shipping-related PM2.5 over China’s port cities. The driving factors of the interannual, seasonal, and diurnal patterns were discussed.
Ryan Vella, Matthew Forrest, Andrea Pozzer, Alexandra P. Tsimpidi, Thomas Hickler, Jos Lelieveld, and Holger Tost
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 243–262, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-243-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-243-2025, 2025
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This study examines how land cover changes influence biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions and atmospheric states. Using a coupled chemistry–climate–vegetation model, we compare present-day land cover (deforested for crops and grazing) with natural vegetation and an extreme reforestation scenario. We find that vegetation changes significantly impact global BVOC emissions and organic aerosols but have a relatively small effect on total aerosols, clouds, and radiative effects.
Mashiat Hossain, Rebecca M. Garland, and Hannah M. Horowitz
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 14123–14143, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14123-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14123-2024, 2024
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Our research examines aerosol dynamics over the southeast Atlantic, a region with significant uncertainties in aerosol radiative forcings. Using the GEOS-Chem model, we find that at cloud altitudes, organic aerosols dominate during the biomass burning season, while sulfate aerosols, driven by marine emissions, prevail during peak primary production. These findings highlight the need for accurate representation of marine aerosols in models to improve climate predictions and reduce uncertainties.
Ashok K. Luhar, Anthony C. Jones, and Jonathan M. Wilkinson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 14005–14028, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14005-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14005-2024, 2024
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Nitrate aerosol is often omitted in global chemistry–climate models, partly due to the chemical complexity of its formation process. Using a global model, we show that including nitrate aerosol significantly impacts tropospheric composition fields, such as ozone, and radiation. Additionally, lightning-generated oxides of nitrogen influence both nitrate aerosol mass concentrations and aerosol size distribution, which has important implications for radiative fluxes and indirect aerosol effects.
Alexandra P. Tsimpidi, Susanne M. C. Scholz, Alexandros Milousis, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, and Vlassis A. Karydis
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3590, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3590, 2024
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This study examines global changes in air pollution from 2000 to 2020, focusing on fine aerosols that impact climate and health. Using models and global data, it finds organic aerosols dominate in many regions, especially with wildfires or natural emissions. Pollution from sulfate and nitrate has decreased in Europe and North America due to regulations, while trends in Asia are more complex. The findings improve understanding and support policies for cleaner air and healthier environments.
Yanru Huo, Mingxue Li, Xueyu Wang, Jianfei Sun, Yuxin Zhou, Yuhui Ma, and Maoxia He
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12409–12423, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12409-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12409-2024, 2024
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This work found that the air–water (A–W) interface and TiO2 clusters promote the oxidation of phenolic compounds (PhCs) to varying degrees compared with the gas phase and bulk water. Some byproducts are more harmful than their parent compounds. This work provides important evidence for the rapid oxidation observed in O3/HO• + PhC experiments at the A–W interface and in mineral dust.
Rémy Lapere, Louis Marelle, Pierre Rampal, Laurent Brodeau, Christian Melsheimer, Gunnar Spreen, and Jennie L. Thomas
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12107–12132, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12107-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12107-2024, 2024
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Elongated open-water areas in sea ice, called leads, can release marine aerosols into the atmosphere. In the Arctic, this source of atmospheric particles could play an important role for climate. However, the amount, seasonality and spatial distribution of such emissions are all mostly unknown. Here, we propose a first parameterization for sea spray aerosols emitted through leads in sea ice and quantify their impact on aerosol populations in the high Arctic.
Haihui Zhu, Randall V. Martin, Aaron van Donkelaar, Melanie S. Hammer, Chi Li, Jun Meng, Christopher R. Oxford, Xuan Liu, Yanshun Li, Dandan Zhang, Inderjeet Singh, and Alexei Lyapustin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11565–11584, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11565-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11565-2024, 2024
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Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) contributes to 4 million deaths globally each year. Satellite remote sensing of aerosol optical depth (AOD), coupled with a simulated PM2.5–AOD relationship (η), can provide global PM2.5 estimations. This study aims to understand the spatial patterns and driving factors of η to guide future measurement and modeling efforts. We quantified η globally and regionally and found that its spatial variation is strongly influenced by aerosol composition.
Connor J. Clayton, Daniel R. Marsh, Steven T. Turnock, Ailish M. Graham, Kirsty J. Pringle, Carly L. Reddington, Rajesh Kumar, and James B. McQuaid
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10717–10740, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10717-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10717-2024, 2024
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We demonstrate that strong climate mitigation could improve air quality in Europe; however, less ambitious mitigation does not result in these co-benefits. We use a high-resolution atmospheric chemistry model. This allows us to demonstrate how this varies across European countries and analyse the underlying chemistry. This may help policy-facing researchers understand which sectors and regions need to be prioritised to achieve strong air quality co-benefits of climate mitigation.
Ping-Chieh Huang, Hui-Ming Hung, Hsin-Chih Lai, and Charles C.-K. Chou
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10759–10772, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10759-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10759-2024, 2024
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Models were used to study ways to reduce particulate matter (PM) pollution in Taiwan during winter. After considering various factors, such as physical processes and chemical reactions, we found that reducing NOx or NH3 emissions is more effective at mitigating PM2.5 than reducing SO2 emissions. When considering both efficiency and cost, reducing NH3 emissions seems to be a more suitable policy for the studied environment in Taiwan.
Matthieu Vida, Gilles Foret, Guillaume Siour, Florian Couvidat, Olivier Favez, Gaelle Uzu, Arineh Cholakian, Sébastien Conil, Matthias Beekmann, and Jean-Luc Jaffrezo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10601–10615, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10601-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10601-2024, 2024
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We simulate 2 years of atmospheric fungal spores over France and use observations of polyols and primary biogenic factors from positive matrix factorisation. The representation of emissions taking into account a proxy for vegetation surface and specific humidity enables us to reproduce very accurately the seasonal cycle of fungal spores. Furthermore, we estimate that fungal spores can account for 20 % of PM10 and 40 % of the organic fraction of PM10 over vegetated areas in summer.
Jiewen Shen, Bin Zhao, Shuxiao Wang, An Ning, Yuyang Li, Runlong Cai, Da Gao, Biwu Chu, Yang Gao, Manish Shrivastava, Jingkun Jiang, Xiuhui Zhang, and Hong He
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10261–10278, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10261-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10261-2024, 2024
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We extensively compare various cluster-dynamics-based parameterizations for sulfuric acid–dimethylamine nucleation and identify a newly developed parameterization derived from Atmospheric Cluster Dynamic Code (ACDC) simulations as being the most reliable one. This study offers a valuable reference for developing parameterizations of other nucleation systems and is meaningful for the accurate quantification of the environmental and climate impacts of new particle formation.
Wei Li and Yuxuan Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9339–9353, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9339-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9339-2024, 2024
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Droughts immensely increased organic aerosol (OA) in the contiguous United States in summer (1998–2019), notably in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and Southeast (SEUS). The OA rise in the SEUS is driven by the enhanced formation of epoxydiol-derived secondary organic aerosol due to the increase in biogenic volatile organic compounds and sulfate, while in the PNW, it is caused by wildfires. A total of 10 climate models captured the OA increase in the PNW yet greatly underestimated it in the SEUS.
Weina Zhang, Jianhua Mai, Zhichao Fan, Yongpeng Ji, Yuemeng Ji, Guiying Li, Yanpeng Gao, and Taicheng An
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9019–9030, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9019-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9019-2024, 2024
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This study reveals heterogeneous oxidation causes further radiative forcing effect (RFE) enhancement of amine–mineral mixed particles. Note that RFE increment is higher under clean conditions than that under polluted conditions, which is contributed to high-oxygen-content products. The enhanced RFE of amine–mineral particles caused by heterogenous oxidation is expected to alleviate warming effects.
Shenglan Jiang, Yan Zhang, Guangyuan Yu, Zimin Han, Junri Zhao, Tianle Zhang, and Mei Zheng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 8363–8381, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8363-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8363-2024, 2024
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This study aims to provide gridded data on sea-wide concentrations, deposition fluxes, and soluble deposition fluxes with detailed source categories of metals using the modified CMAQ model. We developed a monthly emission inventory of six metals – Fe, Al, V, Ni, Zn, and Cu – from terrestrial anthropogenic, ship, and dust sources in East Asia in 2017. Our results reveal the contribution of each source to the emissions, concentrations, and deposition fluxes of metals in the East Asian seas.
Stelios Myriokefalitakis, Matthias Karl, Kim A. Weiss, Dimitris Karagiannis, Eleni Athanasopoulou, Anastasia Kakouri, Aikaterini Bougiatioti, Eleni Liakakou, Iasonas Stavroulas, Georgios Papangelis, Georgios Grivas, Despina Paraskevopoulou, Orestis Speyer, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, and Evangelos Gerasopoulos
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7815–7835, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7815-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7815-2024, 2024
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A state-of-the-art thermodynamic model has been coupled with the city-scale chemistry transport model EPISODE–CityChem to investigate the equilibrium between the inorganic gas and aerosol phases over the greater Athens area, Greece. The simulations indicate that the formation of nitrates in an urban environment is significantly affected by local nitrogen oxide emissions, as well as ambient temperature, relative humidity, photochemical activity, and the presence of non-volatile cations.
Rui Li, Yining Gao, Lijia Zhang, Yubing Shen, Tianzhao Xu, Wenwen Sun, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7623–7636, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7623-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7623-2024, 2024
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A three-stage model was developed to obtain the global maps of reactive nitrogen components during 2000–2100. The results implied that cross-validation R2 values of four species showed satisfactory performance (R2 > 0.55). Most reactive nitrogen components, except NH3, in China showed increases during 2000–2013. In the future scenarios, SSP3-7.0 (traditional-energy scenario) and SSP1-2.6 (carbon neutrality scenario) showed the highest and lowest reactive nitrogen component concentrations.
Fei Ye, Jingyi Li, Yaqin Gao, Hongli Wang, Jingyu An, Cheng Huang, Song Guo, Keding Lu, Kangjia Gong, Haowen Zhang, Momei Qin, and Jianlin Hu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7467–7479, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7467-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7467-2024, 2024
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Naphthalene (Nap) and methylnaphthalene (MN) are key precursors of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), yet their sources and sinks are often inadequately represented in air quality models. In this study, we incorporated detailed emissions, gas-phase chemistry, and SOA parameterization of Nap and MN into CMAQ to address this issue. The findings revealed remarkably high SOA formation potentials for these compounds despite their low emissions in the Yangtze River Delta region during summer.
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Short summary
Geographical and long-term (1983–2011) trends in air concentrations and wet deposition of inorganic ions and aerosol and precipitation acidity were analyzed at 31 sites in Canada. Declines in atmospheric ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate were consistent with decreasing emissions of NH3, NOx, and SO2. A decline in nitrate and sulfate wet deposition was also observed. Wet scavenging was further studied by estimating scavenging ratios and relative contributions of gases and aerosols to wet deposition.
Geographical and long-term (1983–2011) trends in air concentrations and wet deposition of...
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