Measurement of Black Carbon Absorption Coefficients Using an Aethalometer and Their Association with Visibility

Abstract

Black carbon (BC) is a pollutant aerosol affecting climate and human health. Light absorption coefficients of black carbon (Babs) were measured using an aethalometer model AE33 at wavelengths 370, 470,520,660,880, and 950 nm. Babs for the seven wavelengths at seven sites in Jordan fluctuated with time and peaked at rush hours. The daily average values for all sites were inversely proportional to the wavelength. The average daily visibility values in the seven Jordan sites varied between 72 km and 211km. In the Irbid site, the daily average visibility values for 7-13 Nov. 2021 varied between 43 km and 107 km. BC varied from hour to hour and from day to day. The daily average values of BC in Irbid for the period of 7 -13 Nov. 2021 varied between 2.24 μg.m-3 and 4.66 μg.m-3. BC peaked at the rush hour and had the lowest values on Friday. About 90% of the measured BC was from fossil fuel sources and 10% from biomass-burning sources.

Keywords

• black carbon, absorption coefficient, fossil fuel, biomass burning, visibility