References

ACP

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

ACP

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

1680-7324

Copernicus Publications

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/acp-9-3709-2009

Real time chemical characterization of local and regional nitrate aerosols

Dall'Osto

¹ ³ Harrison

R. M.

¹ Coe

² Williams

P. I.

² Allan

J. D.

National Centre for Atmospheric Science, Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

National Centre for Atmospheric Science, School of Earth, Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Simon Building Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

currently at: School of Physics & Centre for Climate & Air Pollution Studies, Environmental Change Institute National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

09 06 2009

9 11 3709 3720

2009

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This article is available from https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/9/3709/2009/acp-9-3709-2009.html

The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/9/3709/2009/acp-9-3709-2009.pdf

Nitrate aerosols make a very major contribution to PM2.5 and PM10 in western Europe, but their sources and pathways have not been fully elucidated. An Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS) and a Compact Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (C-ToF-AMS) were deployed in an urban background location in London, UK, collecting data as part of the REPARTEE-I experiment. During REPARTEE-I, daily PM10 concentrations ranged up to 43.6 μg m−3, with hourly nitrate concentrations (measured by AMS) of up to 5.3 μg m−3. The application of the ART-2a neural network algorithm to the ATOFMS data characterised the nitrate particles as occurring in two distinct clusters (i.e. particle types). The first (33.6% of particles by number) appeared to be locally produced in urban locations during nighttime, whilst the second (22.8% of particles by number) was regionally transported from continental Europe. Nitrate in locally produced aerosol was present mainly in particles smaller than 300 nm, whilst the regional nitrate presented a coarser mode, peaking at 600 nm. In both aerosol types, nitrate was found to be internally mixed with sulphate, ammonium, elemental and organic carbon. Nitrate in regional aerosol appeared to be more volatile than that locally formed. During daytime, a core of the regionally transported nitrate aerosol particle type composed of organic carbon and sulphate was detected.

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