| Title: | Quantifying the effect of organic aerosol aging and intermediate-volatility emissions on regional-scale aerosol pollution in China |
| Author(s): | Zhao B; Wang S; Donahue NM; Jathar SH; Huang X; Wu W; Hao J; Robinson AL; |
| Address: | "State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China. Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Key Laboratory for Urban Habitat Environmental Science and Technology, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2045-2322 (Electronic) 2045-2322 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is one of the least understood constituents of fine particles; current widely-used models cannot predict its loadings or oxidation state. Recent laboratory experiments demonstrated the importance of several new processes, including aging of SOA from traditional precursors, aging of primary organic aerosol (POA), and photo-oxidation of intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs). However, evaluating the effect of these processes in the real atmosphere is challenging. Most models used in previous studies are over-simplified and some key reaction trajectories are not captured, and model parameters are usually phenomenological and lack experimental constraints. Here we comprehensively assess the effect of organic aerosol (OA) aging and intermediate-volatility emissions on regional-scale OA pollution with a state-of-the-art model framework and experimentally constrained parameters. We find that OA aging and intermediate-volatility emissions together increase OA and SOA concentrations in Eastern China by about 40% and a factor of 10, respectively, thereby improving model-measurement agreement significantly. POA and IVOCs both constitute over 40% of OA concentrations, and IVOCs constitute over half of SOA concentrations; this differs significantly from previous apportionment of SOA sources. This study facilitates an improved estimate of aerosol-induced climate and health impacts, and implies a shift from current fine-particle control policies" |
| Keywords: | "Aerosols/*analysis/chemistry Air Pollutants/*chemistry Atmosphere/chemistry China Computer Simulation Environmental Monitoring/methods Geography Models, Theoretical Organic Chemicals/*chemistry Oxidation-Reduction Particulate Matter/*chemistry Time Factor;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineZhao, Bin Wang, Shuxiao Donahue, Neil M Jathar, Shantanu H Huang, Xiaofeng Wu, Wenjing Hao, Jiming Robinson, Allen L eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. England 2016/06/29 Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 28; 6:28815. doi: 10.1038/srep28815" |
