Articles | Volume 26, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2241-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-26-2241-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Feb 2026
Research article |
| 12 Feb 2026
| 12 Feb 2026
Unveiling the organic contribution to the initial particle growth in 3–10 nm size range
Kewei Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Zhengning Xu
State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311200, China
Fei Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311200, China
Zhibin Wang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311200, China
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Short summary
This study investigates how organics contribute to initial particle growth in the 3–10 nm size range. Through laboratory experiments, it was found that sulfuric acid dominates the growth of smaller particles, while organics play an increasingly important role as particle size increases. Elevated humidity also significantly enhances the contribution of organics. These findings further our understanding of new particle formation and subsequent growth.
This study investigates how organics contribute to initial particle growth in the 3–10 nm size...
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