Articles | Volume 18, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10123-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10123-2018
Research article
 | 
17 Jul 2018
Research article |  | 17 Jul 2018

Particle acidity and sulfate production during severe haze events in China cannot be reliably inferred by assuming a mixture of inorganic salts

Gehui Wang, Fang Zhang, Jianfei Peng, Lian Duan, Yuemeng Ji, Wilmarie Marrero-Ortiz, Jiayuan Wang, Jianjun Li, Can Wu, Cong Cao, Yuan Wang, Jun Zheng, Jeremiah Secrest, Yixin Li, Yuying Wang, Hong Li, Na Li, and Renyi Zhang

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Cited articles

Cheng, C., Wang, G., Zhou, B., Meng, J., Li, J., Cao, J., and Xiao, S.: Comparison of dicarboxylic acids and related compounds in aerosol samples collected in Xi'an, China during haze and clean periods, Atmos. Environ., 81, 443–449, 2013. 
Cheng, C., Wang, G., Meng, J., Wang, Q., Cao, J., Li, J., and Wang, J.: Size-resolved airborne particulate oxalic and related secondary organic aerosol species in the urban atmosphere of Chengdu, China, Atmos. Res., 161–162, 134–142, 2015. 
Cheng, Y., Zheng, G., Wei, C., Mu, Q., Bo Zheng, Wang, Z., Gao, M., Zhang, Q., He, K., Carmichae, G., Pöschl, U., and Su, H.: Reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water as a source of sulfate during haze events in China, Science Advances, 2, e1601530, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1601530, 2016. 
Clegg, S. L., Qiu, C., and Zhang, R.: The deliquescence behaviour, solubilities, and densities of aqueous solutions of five methyl- and ethyl-aminium sulphate salts, Atmos. Environ., 73, 1–14, 2013. 
Clifton, C. L., Altstein, N., and Huie, R. E.: Rate constant for the reaction of nitrogen dioxide with sulfur(IV) over the pH range 5.3–13, Environ. Sci. Technol., 22, 586–589, 1988. 
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Several studies using thermodynamic models estimated pH and sulfate formation rate during pollution periods in China are highly conflicting. Here we show distinct sulfate formation for organic seed particles from that of (NH4)2SO4 seeds, when the particles are exposed to SO2, NO2, and NH3 at high RH. Our results reveal that the pH value of ambient organics-dominated aerosols is sufficiently high to promote efficient SO2 oxidation by NO2 with NH3 neutralization under polluted conditions in China.
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