Articles | Volume 25, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7959-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7959-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
25 Jul 2025
Research article |
| 25 Jul 2025
| 25 Jul 2025
Source-dependent optical properties and molecular characteristics of atmospheric brown carbon
Jinghao Zhai
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Yin Zhang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Pengfei Liu
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
Yujie Zhang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Antai Zhang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Yaling Zeng
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Baohua Cai
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Jingyi Zhang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Chunbo Xing
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Honglong Yang
Shenzhen National Climate Observatory, Meteorological Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, Shenzhen 518040, China
Xiaofei Wang
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Jianhuai Ye
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Chen Wang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Tzung-May Fu
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Huizhong Shen
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Shu Tao
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Latest update: 03 Nov 2025
Short summary
Our study shows that the optical properties of brown carbon depend on its source. Brown carbon from ozone pollution had the weakest light absorption but the strongest wavelength dependence, while biomass burning brown carbon showed the strongest absorption and the weakest wavelength dependence. Nitrogen-containing organic carbon compounds were identified as key light absorbers. These results improve understanding of brown carbon sources and help refine climate models.
Our study shows that the optical properties of brown carbon depend on its source. Brown carbon...
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