| Title: | Identification of decadal trends and associated causes for organic and elemental carbon in PM(2.5) at Canadian urban sites |
| Author(s): | Wang H; Zhang L; Yao X; Cheng I; Dabek-Zlotorzynska E; |
| Address: | "School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China. Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: leiming.zhang@ec.gc.ca. Lab of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China. Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, Canada. Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Canada" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107031 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-6750 (Electronic) 0160-4120 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Chemically resolved data for fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) have been collected across Canada since 2003 through the National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) network. Seven urban sites that have 10-17 years (2003-2019) of PM(2.5) organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) data were selected for analysis of decadal trends of OC, EC, and OC/EC ratio using the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition method. Results showed that OC and EC decreased by 0.009-0.072 mug m(-3) yr(-1) and 0.028-0.049 mug m(-3) yr(-1), or 0.77-3.1 % yr(-1) and 3.2-6.7 % yr(-1), respectively, depending on the location. The more rapid decrease in EC than OC resulted in an increasing trend in the OC/EC ratio of 0.03-0.19 yr(-1) across the sites. Macro-tracer approach was used to estimate source attributions of OC and EC from wood burning, fossil fuel combustion, and secondary aerosol formation. Using this approach, it was identified that the significant decrease in EC during the past decade was predominately caused by reduced on-road emissions. The decreased emissions from wood burning and transportation dominated the decline of OC, but such a decline was largely offset by the enhanced secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, resulting in much weaker decline of OC than EC. The enhanced SOA formation was due to the increased biogenic emissions fully offsetting the decreased anthropogenic emissions for volatile organic compounds. These findings highlight the need for quantifying biogenic sources of VOCs and other oxidants that are involved in OC formation at the national scale" |
| Keywords: | Aerosols/analysis *Air Pollutants/analysis Canada Carbon/analysis Environmental Monitoring Particulate Matter/analysis Seasons Eemd Elemental carbon Long-term trends Organic carbon; |
| Notes: | "MedlineWang, Huanbo Zhang, Leiming Yao, Xiaohong Cheng, Irene Dabek-Zlotorzynska, Ewa eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2021/12/11 Environ Int. 2022 Jan 15; 159:107031. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107031. Epub 2021 Dec 7" |
