Articles | Volume 20, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4889-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4889-2020
Research article
 | 
27 Apr 2020
Research article |  | 27 Apr 2020

Optical properties and molecular compositions of water-soluble and water-insoluble brown carbon (BrC) aerosols in northwest China

Jianjun Li, Qi Zhang, Gehui Wang, Jin Li, Can Wu, Lang Liu, Jiayuan Wang, Wenqing Jiang, Lijuan Li, Kin Fai Ho, and Junji Cao

Related authors

Measurement report: Observational insights into the impact of dust transport on atmospheric dicarboxylic acids in ground region and free troposphere
Minxia Shen, Weining Qi, Yali Liu, Yifan Zhang, Wenting Dai, Lu Li, Xiao Guo, Yue Cao, Yingkun Jiang, Qian Wang, Shicong Li, Qiyuan Wang, and Jianjun Li
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3094,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3094, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Effects of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Biogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation in the Atmosphere of Mt. Hua, China
Can Wu, Yubao Chen, Yuwei Sun, Huijun Zhang, Si Zhang, Cong Cao, Jianjun Li, and Gehui Wang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1668,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1668, 2025
Short summary
Influence of anthropogenic pollution on the molecular composition of organic aerosols over a forest site in the Qinling Mountains region of central China
Xin Zhang, Lijuan Li, Jianjun Li, Yue Lin, Yan Cheng, Rui Wang, Shuyan Xing, Chongshu Zhu, Junji Cao, and Yuemei Han
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-519,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-519, 2025
Short summary
Measurement report: Formation of tropospheric brown carbon in a lifting air mass
Can Wu, Xiaodi Liu, Ke Zhang, Si Zhang, Cong Cao, Jianjun Li, Rui Li, Fan Zhang, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9263–9275, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9263-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9263-2024, 2024
Short summary
Different physicochemical behaviors of nitrate and ammonium during transport: a case study on Mt. Hua, China
Can Wu, Cong Cao, Jianjun Li, Shaojun Lv, Jin Li, Xiaodi Liu, Si Zhang, Shijie Liu, Fan Zhang, Jingjing Meng, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 15621–15635, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15621-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15621-2022, 2022
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Aerosols | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Chemistry (chemical composition and reactions)
Asian dust transport of proteinaceous matter from the Gobi Desert to northern China
Ren-Guo Zhu, Hua-Yun Xiao, Meiju Yin, Hao Xiao, Zhongkui Zhou, Yuanyuan Pan, Guo Wei, and Cheng Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7699–7718, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7699-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7699-2025, 2025
Short summary
Machine-learning-assisted chemical characterization and optical properties of atmospheric brown carbon in Nanjing, China
Yu Huang, Xingru Li, Dan Dan Huang, Ruoyuan Lei, Binhuang Zhou, Yunjiang Zhang, and Xinlei Ge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7619–7645, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7619-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7619-2025, 2025
Short summary
Technical note: Reconstructing missing surface aerosol elemental carbon data in long-term series with ensemble learning
Qingxiao Meng, Yunjiang Zhang, Sheng Zhong, Jie Fang, Lili Tang, Yongcai Rao, Minfeng Zhou, Jian Qiu, Xiaofeng Xu, Jean-Eudes Petit, Olivier Favez, and Xinlei Ge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7485–7498, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7485-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7485-2025, 2025
Short summary
Enhanced emission of intermediate-volatility/semi-volatile organic matter in gas and particle phases from ship exhausts with low-sulfur fuels
Binyu Xiao, Fan Zhang, Zeyu Liu, Yan Zhang, Rui Li, Can Wu, Xinyi Wan, Yi Wang, Yubao Chen, Yong Han, Min Cui, Libo Zhang, Yingjun Chen, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7053–7069, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7053-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7053-2025, 2025
Short summary
Measurement report: Crustal materials play an increasing role in elevating particle pH – insights from 12-year records in a typical inland city of China
Hongyu Zhang, Shenbo Wang, Zhangsen Dong, Xiao Li, and Ruiqin Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6943–6955, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6943-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6943-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Andreae, M. O. and Gelencser, 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. 
Chang, J. L. and Thompson, J. E.: Characterization of colored products formed during irradiation of aqueous solutions containing H2O2 and phenolic compounds, Atmos. Environ., 44, 541–551, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.10.042, 2010. 
Chen, Y. and Bond, T. C.: Light absorption by organic carbon from wood combustion, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 1773–1787, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-1773-2010, 2010. 
Chen, Y., Ge, X., Chen, H., Xie, X., Chen, Y., Wang, J., Ye, Z., Bao, M., Zhang, Y., and Chen, M.: Seasonal light absorption properties of water-soluble brown carbon in atmospheric fine particles in Nanjing, China, Atmos. Environ., 187, 230–240, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.06.002, 2018. 
Cheng, Y., He, K. B., Zheng, M., Duan, F. K., Du, Z. Y., Ma, Y. L., Tan, J. H., Yang, F. M., Liu, J. M., Zhang, X. L., Weber, R. J., Bergin, M. H., and Russell, A. G.: Mass absorption efficiency of elemental carbon and water-soluble organic carbon in Beijing, China, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 11497–11510, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-11497-2011, 2011. 
Download
Short summary
We examined light absorption properties and molecular composition of water-soluble (WS) and water-insoluble (WI) BrC in PM2.5 collected from northwest China. We found that photochemical formation contributes significantly to light absorption of WI-BrC in summer, whereas aqueous-phase reactions play an important role in secondary WS-BrC formation in winter. BrC was estimated to account for 1.36 % and 3.74 %, respectively, of total down-welling solar radiation in the UV range in summer and winter.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint