Articles | Volume 22, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13739-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13739-2022
Research article
 | 
24 Oct 2022
Research article |  | 24 Oct 2022

Potential underestimation of ambient brown carbon absorption based on the methanol extraction method and its impacts on source analysis

Zhenqi Xu, Wei Feng, Yicheng Wang, Haoran Ye, Yuhang Wang, Hong Liao, and Mingjie Xie

Related authors

NMVOC emission optimization in China through assimilating formaldehyde retrievals from multiple satellite products
Canjie Xu, Jianbing Jin, Ke Li, Yinfei Qi, Ji Xia, Hai Xiang Lin, and Hong Liao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-140,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-140, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Large and increasing stratospheric contribution to tropospheric ozone over East Asia
Nadia K. Colombi, Daniel J. Jacob, Xingpei Ye, Robert M. Yantosca, Kelvin H. Bates, Drew C. Pendergrass, Laura Hyesung Yang, Ke Li, and Hong Liao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1799,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1799, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Revisiting the high tropospheric ozone over southern Africa: role of biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions
Yufen Wang, Ke Li, Xi Chen, Zhenjiang Yang, Minglong Tang, Pascoal M. D. Campos, Yang Yang, Xu Yue, and Hong Liao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4455–4475, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4455-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4455-2025, 2025
Short summary
Measurement report: Optical and structural properties of atmospheric water-soluble organic carbon in China – insights from multi-site spectroscopic measurements
Haibiao Chen, Caiqing Yan, Liubin Huang, Lin Du, Yang Yue, Xinfeng Wang, Qingcai Chen, Mingjie Xie, Junwen Liu, Fengwen Wang, Shuhong Fang, Qiaoyun Yang, Hongya Niu, Mei Zheng, Yan Wu, and Likun Xue
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3647–3667, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3647-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3647-2025, 2025
Short summary
Effects of 2010–2045 climate change on ozone levels in China under a carbon neutrality scenario: key meteorological parameters and processes
Ling Kang, Hong Liao, Ke Li, Xu Yue, Yang Yang, and Ye Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3603–3621, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3603-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3603-2025, 2025
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Aerosols | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Chemistry (chemical composition and reactions)
Molecular characterization of organic aerosols in urban and forested areas of Paris using high-resolution mass spectrometry
Diana L. Pereira, Chiara Giorio, Aline Gratien, Alexander Zherebker, Gael Noyalet, Servanne Chevaillier, Stéphanie Alage, Elie Almarj, Antonin Bergé, Thomas Bertin, Mathieu Cazaunau, Patrice Coll, Ludovico Di Antonio, Sergio Harb, Johannes Heuser, Cécile Gaimoz, Oscar Guillemant, Brigitte Language, Olivier Lauret, Camilo Macias, Franck Maisonneuve, Bénédicte Picquet-Varrault, Raquel Torres, Sylvain Triquet, Pascal Zapf, Lelia Hawkins, Drew Pronovost, Sydney Riley, Pierre-Marie Flaud, Emilie Perraudin, Pauline Pouyes, Eric Villenave, Alexandre Albinet, Olivier Favez, Robin Aujay-Plouzeau, Vincent Michoud, Christopher Cantrell, Manuela Cirtog, Claudia Di Biagio, Jean-François Doussin, and Paola Formenti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4885–4905, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4885-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4885-2025, 2025
Short summary
Measurement report: Wintertime aerosol characterization at an urban traffic site in Helsinki, Finland
Kimmo Teinilä, Sanna Saarikoski, Henna Lintusaari, Teemu Lepistö, Petteri Marjanen, Minna Aurela, Heidi Hellén, Toni Tykkä, Markus Lampimäki, Janne Lampilahti, Luis Barreira, Timo Mäkelä, Leena Kangas, Juha Hatakka, Sami Harni, Joel Kuula, Jarkko V. Niemi, Harri Portin, Jaakko Yli-Ojanperä, Ville Niemelä, Milja Jäppi, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Joonas Vanhanen, Liisa Pirjola, Hanna E. Manninen, Tuukka Petäjä, Topi Rönkkö, and Hilkka Timonen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4907–4928, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4907-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4907-2025, 2025
Short summary
Source apportionment and ecotoxicity of PM2.5 pollution events in a major Southern Hemisphere megacity: influence of a biofuel-impacted fleet and biomass burning
Guilherme Martins Pereira, Leonardo Yoshiaki Kamigauti, Rubens Fabio Pereira, Djacinto Monteiro dos Santos, Thayná da Silva Santos, José Vinicius Martins, Célia Alves, Cátia Gonçalves, Ismael Casotti Rienda, Nora Kováts, Thiago Nogueira, Luciana Rizzo, Paulo Artaxo, Regina Maura de Miranda, Marcia Akemi Yamasoe, Edmilson Dias de Freitas, Pérola de Castro Vasconcellos, and Maria de Fatima Andrade
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4587–4616, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4587-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4587-2025, 2025
Short summary
Marine organic aerosol at Mace Head: effects from phytoplankton and source region variability
Emmanuel Chevassus, Kirsten N. Fossum, Darius Ceburnis, Lu Lei, Chunshui Lin, Wei Xu, Colin O'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4107–4129, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4107-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4107-2025, 2025
Short summary
Measurement report: Sources and meteorology influencing highly time-resolved PM2.5 trace elements at three urban sites in the extremely polluted Indo-Gangetic Plain in India
Ashutosh K. Shukla, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Shamitaksha Talukdar, Vishnu Murari, Sreenivas Gaddamidi, Manousos-Ioannis Manousakas, Vipul Lalchandani, Kuldeep Dixit, Vinayak M. Ruge, Peeyush Khare, Mayank Kumar, Vikram Singh, Neeraj Rastogi, Suresh Tiwari, Atul K. Srivastava, Dilip Ganguly, Kaspar Rudolf Daellenbach, and André S. H. Prévôt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3765–3784, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3765-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3765-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Al-Abadleh, H. A.: Aging of atmospheric aerosols and the role of iron in catalyzing brown carbon formation, Environ. Sci. Atmos., 1, 297–345, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EA00038A, 2021. 
Atwi, K., Cheng, Z., El Hajj, O., Perrie, C., and Saleh, R.: A dominant contribution to light absorption by methanol-insoluble brown carbon produced in the combustion of biomass fuels typically consumed in wildland fires in the United States, Environ. Sci. Atmos., 2, 182–191, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EA00065A, 2022. 
Bai, Z., Zhang, L., Cheng, Y., Zhang, W., Mao, J., Chen, H., Li, L., Wang, L., and Chen, J.: Water/methanol-insoluble brown carbon can dominate aerosol-enhanced light absorption in port cities, Environ. Sci. Technol., 54, 14889–14898, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c03844, 2020. 
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. 
Cheng, Z., Atwi, K., Hajj, O. E., Ijeli, I., Fischer, D. A., Smith, G., and Saleh, R.: Discrepancies between brown carbon light-absorption properties retrieved from online and offline measurements, Aerosol Sci. Technol., 55, 92–103, https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2020.1820940, 2021. 
Download
Short summary
This work uses a solvent (DMF) that can efficiently dissolve low-volatility OC to examine BrC absorption and sources, which will benefit future investigations on the physicochemical properties of large organic molecules. The study results also shed light on potential sources for methanol-insoluble OC. These results highlight the importance of testing different solvents to investigate the structures and light absorption of low-volatility BrC.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint