Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
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2007
10.5194/acpd-7-1623-2007
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/1623/2007/
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/1623/2007/acpd-7-1623-2007.html
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/1623/2007/acpd-7-1623-2007.pdf
1623
1653
2007-01-31
On the diurnal variability of particle properties related to black carbon in Mexico City
D. Baumgardner
darrel@servidor.unam.mx
G. L. Kok
G. B. Raga
Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
Droplet Measurement Technologies, México
The black carbon mass (BCM) of individual, internally mixed aerosol particles was
measured with the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) in April of 2003 and 2005.
The average BCM, single particle BC mass fraction and BCM equivalent diameter
were evaluated with respect to concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), particle
bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAH) and condensation nuclei (CN). The
BCM and CO have matching diurnal trends that are linked to traffic patterns and
boundary layer growth. The PPAH reaches a maximum at the same hour as CO and
BCM but returns rapidly back to nighttime values within three hours of the peak. The
number of particles containing BCM ranges between 10% to 40% of all particles
between 200 nm and 700 nm and the BCM is between 4% and 12% of the total
mass in this size range. The average BC equivalent mass diameter varies between
300 and 400 nm and reaches its daily minimum value when BCM is a maximum.
The BC particles have the thinnest coating of non-light absorbing material during
periods of maximum BCM. The scattering and absorption coefficients, B<sub>scat</sub> and B<sub>abs</sub> ,
derived from the SP2 measurements were compared with direct measurements from
a nephelometer and soot photometer. The measured and derived B<sub>abs</sub> are in close
agreement whereas the B<sub>scat</sub> comparisons show larger discrepancies in absolute
value and daily trends. Even though approximately 40% of the BCM is in particles
with diameters smaller than 200 nm, the extinction coefficient is dominated by the
BCM in particles larger than this size. The BCM contributes up to 20% of the total
extinction in this size range. BCM is emitted at a rate of 1200 metric tons per year in
Mexico City, based upon the SP2 measurements and correlations between BCM
and CO.
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