Environment International (Jan 2025)

A European aerosol phenomenology – 9: Light absorption properties of carbonaceous aerosol particles across surface Europe

  • Jordi Rovira,
  • Marjan Savadkoohi,
  • Gang I. Chen,
  • Griša Močnik,
  • Wenche Aas,
  • Lucas Alados-Arboledas,
  • Begoña Artiñano,
  • Minna Aurela,
  • John Backman,
  • Sujai Banerji,
  • David Beddow,
  • Benjamin Brem,
  • Benjamin Chazeau,
  • Martine Collaud Coen,
  • Cristina Colombi,
  • Sebastien Conil,
  • Francesca Costabile,
  • Esther Coz,
  • Joel F. de Brito,
  • Kostas Eleftheriadis,
  • Olivier Favez,
  • Harald Flentje,
  • Evelyn Freney,
  • Asta Gregorič,
  • Martin Gysel-Beer,
  • Roy Harrison,
  • Christoph Hueglin,
  • Antti Hyvärinen,
  • Matic Ivančič,
  • Athina-Cerise Kalogridis,
  • Hannes Keernik,
  • Granakis Konstantinos,
  • Paolo Laj,
  • Eleni Liakakou,
  • Chunshui Lin,
  • Stefano Listrani,
  • Krista Luoma,
  • Marek Maasikmets,
  • Hanna E. Manninen,
  • Nicolas Marchand,
  • Sebastiao Martins dos Santos,
  • Saliou Mbengue,
  • Nikos Mihalopoulos,
  • Doina Nicolae,
  • Jarkko V. Niemi,
  • Michael Norman,
  • Jurgita Ovadnevaite,
  • Jean-Eudes Petit,
  • Stephen Platt,
  • André S.H. Prévôt,
  • Manuel Pujadas,
  • Jean-Philippe Putaud,
  • Véronique Riffault,
  • Martin Rigler,
  • Matteo Rinaldi,
  • Jaroslav Schwarz,
  • Sanna Silvergren,
  • Erik Teinemaa,
  • Kimmo Teinilä,
  • Hilkka Timonen,
  • Gloria Titos,
  • Anna Tobler,
  • Jeni Vasilescu,
  • Stergios Vratolis,
  • Karl Espen Yttri,
  • Eduardo Yubero,
  • Naděžda Zíková,
  • Andrés Alastuey,
  • Tuukka Petäjä,
  • Xavier Querol,
  • Jesús Yus-Díez,
  • Marco Pandolfi

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 195
p. 109185

Abstract

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Carbonaceous aerosols (CA), composed of black carbon (BC) and organic matter (OM), significantly impact the climate. Light absorption properties of CA, particularly of BC and brown carbon (BrC), are crucial due to their contribution to global and regional warming. We present the absorption properties of BC (bAbs,BC) and BrC (bAbs,BrC) inferred using Aethalometer data from 44 European sites covering different environments (traffic (TR), urban (UB), suburban (SUB), regional background (RB) and mountain (M)). Absorption coefficients showed a clear relationship with station setting decreasing as follows: TR > UB > SUB > RB > M, with exceptions. The contribution of bAbs,BrC to total absorption (bAbs), i.e. %AbsBrC, was lower at traffic sites (11–20 %), exceeding 30 % at some SUB and RB sites. Low AAE values were observed at TR sites, due to the dominance of internal combustion emissions, and at some remote RB/M sites, likely due to the lack of proximity to BrC sources, insufficient secondary processes generating BrC or the effect of photobleaching during transport. Higher bAbs and AAE were observed in Central/Eastern Europe compared to Western/Northern Europe, due to higher coal and biomass burning emissions in the east. Seasonal analysis showed increased bAbs, bAbs,BC, bAbs,BrC in winter, with stronger %AbsBrC, leading to higher AAE. Diel cycles of bAbs,BC peaked during morning and evening rush hours, whereas bAbs,BrC, %AbsBrC, AAE, and AAEBrC peaked at night when emissions from household activities accumulated. Decade-long trends analyses demonstrated a decrease in bAbs, due to reduction of BC emissions, while bAbs,BrC and AAE increased, suggesting a shift in CA composition, with a relative increase in BrC over BC. This study provides a unique dataset to assess the BrC effects on climate and confirms that BrC can contribute significantly to UV–VIS radiation presenting highly variable absorption properties in Europe.

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