Characterizing Atmospheric Brown Carbon and Its Emission Sources during Wintertime in Shanghai, China
Atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) is a kind of organic aerosol that efficiently absorbs ultraviolet-visible light and has an impact on climate forcing. We conducted an in-depth field study on ambient aerosols at a monitoring point in Shanghai, China, aiming to investigate the potential emission sources...
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/6/991 |
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| author | Linyuan Zhang Jung Hyun Son Zhe Bai Wei Zhang Ling Li Lina Wang Jianmin Chen |
| author_facet | Linyuan Zhang Jung Hyun Son Zhe Bai Wei Zhang Ling Li Lina Wang Jianmin Chen |
| author_sort | Linyuan Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) is a kind of organic aerosol that efficiently absorbs ultraviolet-visible light and has an impact on climate forcing. We conducted an in-depth field study on ambient aerosols at a monitoring point in Shanghai, China, aiming to investigate the potential emission sources, molecular structures, and the contributions to light absorptions of ambient BrC chromophores. The results indicated that nine molecules were identified as nitroaromatic compounds, five of which (4-nitrophenol, 4-nitrocatechol, 2-nitro-1-naphthol, 3-methyl-4-nitrocatechol, and 2-methyl-4-nitrophenol) usually came from biomass burning or were produced from the photo-oxidation of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (e.g., toluene, benzene) under high-NO<sub>x</sub> conditions. 4-nitrophenol was the strongest BrC chromophore and accounted for 13% of the total aerosol light absorption at λ = 365 nm. The estimated light absorption of black carbon was approximately three times the value of methanol-soluble BrC at λ = 365 nm. The ratios of K<sup>+</sup>/OC and K<sup>+</sup>/EC, and the correlations with WSOC, OC, HULIS-C and K<sup>+</sup>, and MAE values of methanol extracts also indicated that the primary emissions from biomass burning contributed more aerosol light absorption compared to the secondary formation during the wintertime in Shanghai. Therefore, biomass burning control is still the most urgent strategy for reducing BrC in Shanghai. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:25:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
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| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-5af60c77b2f142cf8a85af31b99ba3802023-11-23T15:33:55ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332022-06-0113699110.3390/atmos13060991Characterizing Atmospheric Brown Carbon and Its Emission Sources during Wintertime in Shanghai, ChinaLinyuan Zhang0Jung Hyun Son1Zhe Bai2Wei Zhang3Ling Li4Lina Wang5Jianmin Chen6Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaAtmospheric brown carbon (BrC) is a kind of organic aerosol that efficiently absorbs ultraviolet-visible light and has an impact on climate forcing. We conducted an in-depth field study on ambient aerosols at a monitoring point in Shanghai, China, aiming to investigate the potential emission sources, molecular structures, and the contributions to light absorptions of ambient BrC chromophores. The results indicated that nine molecules were identified as nitroaromatic compounds, five of which (4-nitrophenol, 4-nitrocatechol, 2-nitro-1-naphthol, 3-methyl-4-nitrocatechol, and 2-methyl-4-nitrophenol) usually came from biomass burning or were produced from the photo-oxidation of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (e.g., toluene, benzene) under high-NO<sub>x</sub> conditions. 4-nitrophenol was the strongest BrC chromophore and accounted for 13% of the total aerosol light absorption at λ = 365 nm. The estimated light absorption of black carbon was approximately three times the value of methanol-soluble BrC at λ = 365 nm. The ratios of K<sup>+</sup>/OC and K<sup>+</sup>/EC, and the correlations with WSOC, OC, HULIS-C and K<sup>+</sup>, and MAE values of methanol extracts also indicated that the primary emissions from biomass burning contributed more aerosol light absorption compared to the secondary formation during the wintertime in Shanghai. Therefore, biomass burning control is still the most urgent strategy for reducing BrC in Shanghai.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/6/991brown carbonemission sourceabsorption chromophoremolecular compositionbiomass burning |
| spellingShingle | Linyuan Zhang Jung Hyun Son Zhe Bai Wei Zhang Ling Li Lina Wang Jianmin Chen Characterizing Atmospheric Brown Carbon and Its Emission Sources during Wintertime in Shanghai, China Atmosphere brown carbon emission source absorption chromophore molecular composition biomass burning |
| title | Characterizing Atmospheric Brown Carbon and Its Emission Sources during Wintertime in Shanghai, China |
| title_full | Characterizing Atmospheric Brown Carbon and Its Emission Sources during Wintertime in Shanghai, China |
| title_fullStr | Characterizing Atmospheric Brown Carbon and Its Emission Sources during Wintertime in Shanghai, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterizing Atmospheric Brown Carbon and Its Emission Sources during Wintertime in Shanghai, China |
| title_short | Characterizing Atmospheric Brown Carbon and Its Emission Sources during Wintertime in Shanghai, China |
| title_sort | characterizing atmospheric brown carbon and its emission sources during wintertime in shanghai china |
| topic | brown carbon emission source absorption chromophore molecular composition biomass burning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/6/991 |
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