Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net
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7
1
2007
10.5194/acpd-7-605-2007
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/605/2007/
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/605/2007/acpd-7-605-2007.html
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/605/2007/acpd-7-605-2007.pdf
605
639
2007-01-16
A study on the relationship between mass concentrations, chemistry and number size distribution of urban fine aerosols in Milan, Barcelona and London
S. Rodríguez
R. Van Dingenen
J.-P. Putaud
A. Dell'Acqua
J. Pey
X. Querol
A. Alastuey
S. Chenery
K.-F. Ho
R. M. Harrison
R. Tardivo
B. Scarnato
V. Gianelle
Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, T.P. 290, Ispra (VA) 21020, Italy
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK
Institute of Earth Science "Jaume Almera", CSIC, Solé i Sabarís, S/N, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
University of Birmingham, Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, TU418, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32-20133 Milan, Italy
ARPA-Lombardia, Viale Francesco Restelli, 3/1, 20124 Milan, Italy
now at: University of Huelva – Iza ˜na Atmospheric Observatory (INM-CSIC), La Marina, 20, 6<sup>a</sup> planta, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
A physicochemical characterization of the urban fine aerosol (aerosol number
size distribution, chemical composition and mass concentrations) in Milan,
Barcelona and London is presented in this article. The objective is to
obtain a comprehensive picture on the involvement of the microphysical
processes of the aerosol dynamic in the: 1) regular evolution of the urban
aerosol (daily, weekly and seasonal basis) and in the day-to-day variations
(from clean-air to pollution-events), and 2) link between "aerosol chemistry
and mass concentrations" with the "number size distribution".
<br><br>
The mass concentrations of the fine PM2.5 aerosol exhibit a high correlation
with the number concentration of particles >100 nm (which only accounts for
<20% of the total number concentration N of fine aerosols) and do not
correlate with the number of particles <100 nm ("ultrafine particles",
which accounts for >80% of fine particles). Organic matter (OM) and
black-carbon (BC) are the only aerosol components showing a significant
correlation with ultrafine particles (attributed to vehicles emissions),
whereas ammonium-nitrate, ammonium-sulphate and also OM and BC correlate
with N>100(nm) (attributed to gas-to-particle transformation mechanisms
and some primary emissions). Time series of the aerosol DpN diameter
(dN/dlogD mode), mass PM2.5 concentrations and number N>100(nm)
concentrations, exhibit correlated day-to-day variations which point to a
significant involvement of condensation of semi-volatile compounds during
urban pollution events. This agrees with the fact that ammonium-nitrate is
the component exhibiting the highest increases from mid-to-high pollution
episodes, when the highest DpN increases are observed. The results indicates
that "fine PM2.5 particles urban pollution events" tend to occur when
condensation processes have made particles grow enough to produce
significant concentrations of N>100(nm). In contrast, because the low
contribution of ultrafine particles to the fine aerosol mass concentrations,
high "ultrafine particles N<100(nm) events" frequently occurs under low
PM2.5 conditions. The data of this study point that vehicles emissions are
strongly involved in this ultrafine particles aerosol pollution (for
example, the "morning-rush-hours to nocturnal-background" concentrations
ratio is 1.5–2.5 for "particles 10–100 nm" and <1.5 for both "particle
>100 nm and PM2.5").
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