Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 9 4 2009 10.5194/acpd-9-15083-2009 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/15083/2009/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/15083/2009/acpd-9-15083-2009.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/15083/2009/acpd-9-15083-2009.pdf 15083 15123 2009-07-13 Changes in the production rate of secondary aerosol particles in central Europe in view of decreasing SO2 emissions between 1996 and 2006 A. Hamed W. Birmili J. Joutsensaari S. Mikkonen A. Asmi B. Wehner G. Spindler A. Jaatinen K. Uhse A. Wiedensohler K. E. J. Lehtinen A. Laaksonen Department of Physics, University of Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Physical Sciences, P.O. Box 64, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland Federal Environment Agency of Germany (UBA), Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 29, 63225 Langen Germany Finnish Meteorological Institute, Kuopio Unit, P.O. Box 1627, 70210 Kuopio, Finland Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland In anthropogenically influenced atmospheres, sulphur dioxide (SO2) is the main precursor of gaseous sulphuric acid (H2SO4), which in turn forms new aerosol particles (diameter <10 nm) through nucleation. As a result of socio-economic changes, East Germany has seen a dramatic decrease in anthropogenic SO2 emissions between 1989 and present, as documented by routine air quality measurements in many locations. Using two different data sets of experimental particle number size distributions (3–750 nm) from the research station Melpitz (1996–1997 and 2003–2006) we have attempted to evaluate the possible influence of changing SO2 concentrations on the frequency and intensity of new particle formation (NPF). Between the two periods SO2 concentrations decreased on average by 65%, while the frequency of NPF events dropped by 45%. In addition, the average formation rate of 3 nm particles decreased by 68%. The trends were statistically significant, therefore suggesting a connection between the availability of anthropogenic SO2 and the production of new particle number. A contrasting finding was the increase in the mean growth rate of freshly nucleated particles (+22%), suggesting that particle nucleation and subsequent growth into larger sizes are delineated with respect to their precursor species. 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