Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net
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9
1
2009
10.5194/acpd-9-541-2009
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/541/2009/
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/541/2009/acpd-9-541-2009.html
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/541/2009/acpd-9-541-2009.pdf
541
593
2009-01-08
Primary and secondary organic carbon downwind of Mexico City
X.-Y. Yu
xiaoying.yu@pnl.gov
R. A. Cary
N. S. Laulainen
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA
Sunset Laboratory Inc., 10160 SW Nimbus Ave., Tigard, OR 97223, USA
In order to study particulate matter transport and transformation in
the Megacity environment, fine particulate carbons were measured
simultaneously at two supersites, suburban T1 and rural T2, downwind
of Mexico City during the MILAGRO field campaign in March
2006. Organic carbon (OC), element carbon (EC), and total carbon
(TC=OC+EC) were determined in near
real-time using a Sunset semi-continuous OC/EC field analyzer. The
semi-empirical EC tracer method was used to derive primary organic
carbon (POC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC). Diurnal variations of
primary and secondary carbons were observed at T1 and T2, which
resulted from boundary layer inversion and impacted by local traffic
patterns. The majority of organic carbon particles at T1 and T2 were
secondary. The SOC%
(SOC%=SOC/TC×100%) at T1 ranged from
1.2–100% with an average of 80.7±14.4%. The SOC% at T2
ranged from 12.8–100% with an average of 80.1±14.0%. The
average EC to PM<sub>2.5</sub> percentage
(EC<sub>PM</sub>%=EC/PM<sub>2.5</sub>×100%) and
OC<sub>PM</sub>% were 6.0% and 20.0% over the whole sampling time
at T1. The POC to PM percentage (POC<sub>PM</sub>%) and SOC<sub>PM</sub>%
were 3.7% and 16.3%, respectively at the same site. The maximum
EC<sub>PM</sub>% was 21.2%, and the maximum OC<sub>PM</sub>% was 57.2%
at T1. The maximum POC<sub>PM</sub>% was 12.9%, and the maximum
SOC<sub>PM</sub>% was 49.7% at the suburban site. Comparison of SOC
and POC at T1 and T2 showed similar characteristics under favorable
meteorological conditions, which indicated that transport between the
two supersites took place. Strong correlations between EC and carbon
monoxide (CO) and odd nitrogen species (NO and
NO<sub>x</sub>) were observed at T1. This indicated that EC had nearby
sources, such as local traffic emissions. The EC/CO ratio derived by
linear regression analysis, when parameters in μg C/m<sup>3</sup>
and μg/m<sup>3</sup>, respectively, was 0.0045 at
T1. Correlations were also seen between OC and SOC vs. the sum of
oxidants, such as O<sub>3</sub> and NO<sub>2</sub>, suggesting the
secondary nature of carbons observed at T1.
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