Measurement report: Large contribution of biomass burning and aqueous-phase processes to the wintertime secondary organic aerosol formation in Xi'an, Northwest China

J. Duan; R.-J. Huang; R.-J. Huang; R.-J. Huang; R.-J. Huang; Y. Gu; Y. Gu; C. Lin; H. Zhong; H. Zhong; W. Xu; Q. Liu; Y. You; J. Ovadnevaite; D. Ceburnis; T. Hoffmann; C. O'Dowd

doi:10.5194/acp-22-10139-2022

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Aug 2022)

Measurement report: Large contribution of biomass burning and aqueous-phase processes to the wintertime secondary organic aerosol formation in Xi'an, Northwest China

J. Duan,
R.-J. Huang,
R.-J. Huang,
R.-J. Huang,
R.-J. Huang,
Y. Gu,
Y. Gu,
C. Lin,
H. Zhong,
H. Zhong,
W. Xu,
Q. Liu,
Y. You,
J. Ovadnevaite,
D. Ceburnis,
T. Hoffmann,
C. O'Dowd

Affiliations

J. Duan: State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 710061 Xi'an, China
R.-J. Huang: State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 710061 Xi'an, China
R.-J. Huang: Open Studio for Oceanic-Continental Climate and Environment Changes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), 266000 Qingdao, China
R.-J. Huang: Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 710049 Xi'an, China
R.-J. Huang: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
Y. Gu: State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 710061 Xi'an, China
Y. Gu: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
C. Lin: State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 710061 Xi'an, China
H. Zhong: State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 710061 Xi'an, China
H. Zhong: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
W. Xu: State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 710061 Xi'an, China
Q. Liu: State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather & Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry of CMA, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, 100081 Beijing, China
Y. You: National Observation and Research Station of Coastal Ecological Environments in Macao, Macao Environmental Research Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, 999078 Macao SAR, China
J. Ovadnevaite: School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91CF50 Galway, Ireland
D. Ceburnis: School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91CF50 Galway, Ireland
T. Hoffmann: Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
C. O'Dowd: School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91CF50 Galway, Ireland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10139-2022
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 22
pp. 10139 – 10153

Abstract

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Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) plays an important role in particulate air pollution, but its formation mechanism is still not fully understood. The chemical composition of non-refractory particulate matter with a diameter ≤2.5 µm (NR-PM2.5), OA sources, and SOA formation mechanisms were investigated in urban Xi'an during winter 2018. The fractional contribution of SOA to total OA mass (58 %) was larger than primary OA (POA, 42 %). Biomass-burning-influenced oxygenated OA (OOA-BB) was resolved in urban Xi'an and was formed from the photochemical oxidation and aging of biomass burning OA (BBOA). The formation of OOA-BB was more favorable on days with a larger OA fraction and higher BBOA concentration. In comparison, the aqueous-phase processed oxygenated OA (aq-OOA) was more dependent on the secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) content and aerosol liquid water content (ALWC), and it showed a large increase (to 50 % of OA) during SIA-enhanced periods. Further van Krevelen (VK) diagram analysis suggests that the addition of carboxylic acid groups with fragmentation dominated OA aging on reference days, while the increased aq-OOA contributions during SIA-enhanced periods likely reflect OA evolution due to the addition of alcohol or peroxide groups.

Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

ISSN: 1680-7316 (Print); 1680-7324 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Physics; Science: Chemistry
Website: http://www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net/

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