Articles | Volume 19, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11669-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11669-2019
Research article
 | 
19 Sep 2019
Research article |  | 19 Sep 2019

Light absorption properties and potential sources of particulate brown carbon in the Pearl River Delta region of China

Zhujie Li, Haobo Tan, Jun Zheng, Li Liu, Yiming Qin, Nan Wang, Fei Li, Yongjie Li, Mingfu Cai, Yan Ma, and Chak K. Chan

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Cited articles

Andreae, M. O. and Gelencsér, A.: Black carbon or brown carbon? The nature of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 3131–3148, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-3131-2006, 2006. 
Andreae, M. O. and Merlet, P.: Emission of trace gases and aerosols from biomass burning, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 15, 955–966, 2001. 
Ångström, A.: On the Atmospheric Transmission of Sun Radiation and on Dust in the Air, Geograf. Annal., 11, 156–166, 1929. 
Arnott, W. P., Hamasha, K., Moosmüller, H., Sheridan, P. J., and Ogren, J. A.: Towards Aerosol Light-Absorption Measurements with a 7-Wavelength Aethalometer: Evaluation with a Photoacoustic Instrument and 3-Wavelength Nephelometer, Aerosol Sci. Technol., 39, 17–29, https://doi.org/10.1080/027868290901972, 2005. 
Arola, A., Schuster, G. L., Pitkänen, M. R. A., Dubovik, O., Kokkola, H., Lindfors, A. V., Mielonen, T., Raatikainen, T., Romakkaniemi, S., Tripathi, S. N., and Lihavainen, H.: Direct radiative effect by brown carbon over the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 12731–12740, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12731-2015, 2015. 
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Short summary
Comprehensive field measurements were conducted to investigate aerosol compositions, optical properties, source origins, and radiative forcing effects in Guangzhou. Particulate brown carbon (BrC) light absorption was differentiated from that of black carbon. BrC was mostly due to primary emissions, such as straw burning, rather than secondary formation. BrC may cause ∼2.3 W m−2 radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere and contribute to ∼15.8 % of the aerosol warming effect.
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