Articles | Volume 26, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1947-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1947-2026
Research article
 | 
06 Feb 2026
Research article |  | 06 Feb 2026

Oxidation-driven acceleration of NPF-to-CCN conversion under polluted atmosphere: evidence from mountain-top observations in Yangtze River Delta

Weibin Zhu, Sai Shang, Jieqi Wang, Yunfei Wu, Zhaoze Deng, Liang Ran, Ye Kuang, Guiqian Tang, Xiangpeng Huang, Xiaole Pan, Lanzhong Liu, Weiqi Xu, Yele Sun, Bo Hu, Zifa Wang, and Zirui Liu

Related authors

Advancing Isotope-Enabled Model for Comprehensive Understanding of Atmospheric Sulfur Isotope Effects: Revealing the Overlooked Isotopic Fractionation During Combustion and Gas Desulfurization
Lianfang Wei, Xueshun Chen, Wenyi Yang, Zhe Wang, Jie Li, Di Liu, Huiyun Du, Xiaole Pan, Yafang Cheng, Pingqing Fu, and Zifa Wang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3649,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3649, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Characteristics and processing of aqueous secondary organic aerosols during autumn in suburban Eastern China: role of aerosol liquid water, aerosol acidity, and photochemistry
Qiu Wang, Tengyu Liu, Weiqi Xu, Jinbo Wang, Dafeng Ge, Caijun Zhu, Chuanhua Ren, Jiaping Wang, Qiaozhi Zha, Ximeng Qi, Wei Nie, Xuguang Chi, Sijia Lou, Xin Huang, and Aijun Ding
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 3185–3194, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-3185-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-3185-2026, 2026
Short summary
Contrasting aerosol mixing states at inland and coastal sites: an entropy-based metric for CCN activity
Jingye Ren, Wei Xu, Ru-Jin Huang, Fang Zhang, Ying Wang, Lu Chen, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, Colin O'Dowd, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 2985–3000, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2985-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2985-2026, 2026
Short summary
Molecular composition and processing of aqueous secondary organic aerosol in clouds at a mountain site in southeastern China
Yali Jin, Hao Luo, Siqi Tang, Shuhui Xue, Chengyu Nie, Xiaocong Peng, Yan Zheng, Weiqi Xu, Guohua Zhang, Xiaole Pan, Yele Sun, Qi Chen, Lanzhong Liu, and Defeng Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 2813–2830, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2813-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2813-2026, 2026
Short summary
Aqueous OH-initiated photooxidation of smoke extracts from maize straw and coal combustion: optical character and molecular composition
Zhaolian Ye, Dandan Hu, Qiuyan Chen, Xiangpeng Huang, and Xinlei Ge
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-39,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-39, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary

Cited articles

Baron, P. A. and Willeke, K.: Aerosol measurement: Principles, techniques and applications, 2nd edn., John Wiley and Sons, New York, ISBN: 9781591247739, 2001. 
Beddows, D. C. S., Dall'osto, M., and Harrison, R. M.: An Enhanced Procedure for the Merging of Atmospheric Particle Size Distribution Data Measured Using Electrical Mobility and Time-of-Flight Analysers, Aerosol Sci. Tech., 44, 930–938, https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2010.502159, 2010. 
Bougiatioti, A., Nenes, A., Fountoukis, C., Kalivitis, N., Pandis, S. N., and Mihalopoulos, N.: Size-resolved CCN distributions and activation kinetics of aged continental and marine aerosol, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 8791–8808, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-8791-2011, 2011. 
Download
Short summary
NPF (new particle formation) is a key global CCN (cloud condensation nuclei) source, but its contribution at the polluted boundary-layer top remains unclear. Based on mountaintop observations in the Yangtze River Delta, we show that under polluted conditions, NPF at the boundary-layer top is enhanced and accelerates its conversion to CCN. Ammonia plays a key role, and a newly defined "Time Window" metric highlights the importance of oxidation-driven growth and regional transport in this process.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint