Articles | Volume 26, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2411-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2411-2026
Research article
 | 
16 Feb 2026
Research article |  | 16 Feb 2026

Underestimation of anthropogenic organosulfates in atmospheric aerosols in urban regions

Yanting Qiu, Junrui Wang, Tao Qiu, Jiajie Li, Yanxin Bai, Teng Liu, Ruiqi Man, Taomou Zong, Wenxu Fang, Jiawei Yang, Yu Xie, Zeyu Feng, Chenhui Li, Ying Wei, Kai Bi, Dapeng Liang, Ziqi Gao, Zhijun Wu, Yuchen Wang, and Min Hu

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Cited articles

Bateman, A. P., Belassein, H., and Martin, S. T.: Impactor Apparatus for the Study of Particle Rebound: Relative Humidity and Capillary Forces, Aerosol Science and Technology, 48, 42–52, https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2013.853866, 2014. 
Brüggemann, M., Xu, R., Tilgner, A., Kwong, K. C., Mutzel, A., Poon, H. Y., Otto, T., Schaefer, T., Poulain, L., Chan, M. N., and Herrmann, H.: Organosulfates in Ambient Aerosol: State of Knowledge and Future Research Directions on Formation, Abundance, Fate, and Importance, Environmental Science & Technology, 54, 3767–3782, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b06751, 2020. 
Cai, D., Wang, X., Chen, J., and Li, X.: Molecular Characterization of Organosulfates in Highly Polluted Atmosphere Using Ultra-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 125, e2019JD032253, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD032253, 2020. 
Cao, G., Zhao, X., Hu, D., Zhu, R., and Ouyang, F.: Development and application of a quantification method for water soluble organosulfates in atmospheric aerosols, Environmental Pollution, 225, 316–322, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.01.086, 2017. 
Cheng, Y., Zheng, G., Wei, C., Mu, Q., Zheng, B., Wang, Z., Gao, M., Zhang, Q., He, K., Carmichael, G., Pöschl, U., and Su, H.: Reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water as a source of sulfate during haze events in China, 2, e1601530, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1601530, 2016. 
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This study reveals that anthropogenic organosulfates (OSs), especially Aliphatic OSs in urban areas have been significantly underestimated. We also discovered that humidity, acidity, inorganic sulfate and Ox mass concentrations play key roles in the formation of Aliphatic OSs. These findings improve our understanding of how air pollution forms in urban environments and are crucial for developing effective environmental policies.
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