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Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere (2nd...
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Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Aerosols".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 June 2024) | Viewed by 7760

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shan Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
Interests: aerosols; source apportionment; nitrogen-containing organic aerosols; aerosol hygroscopicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wei Wei Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: organic aerosol; volatility; source apportionment; mass spectrometer; secondary formation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a follow-up of the first Special Issue entitled “Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/particles) published in Atmosphere in 2023 and will cover all aspects of Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere.

The atmosphere of Earth is rich in aerosols. Their presence has a strong impact on air quality, human health, and the climate, which has been reported for several decades. Since the early 1960s, instruments have been available to characterize the aerosol in detail. With the development of measurement techniques in recent years, the contribution of aerosols from different chemical compositions has started to be recognized, yet it is still far from clear. For example, there are thousands of organic molecular compounds in particles that cannot be distinguished using one instrument. Recent breakthroughs for recognizing highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs), organic nitrates (ONs), organic sulfates (OSs), and amines have helped us to understand their chemical and physical properties, facilitating the elucidation of their environmental impact. The aerosols in the atmosphere can be derived from primary emissions, which are a direct transfer of particles to the air. Primary emissions include natural activity, such as sea spray drifts, volcanic eruptions, and forest or brush burnings, blowing dust or soils, and pollen spread, which were the main source of aerosols in the pre-industrial period. Since the Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century, the influence of human activity on aerosols greatly changed the chemical composition in urban and suburban areas; the predominant anthropogenic-derived primary sources of aerosols include vehicles exhausts, industrial emission, coal burning, biomass burning, cooking, etc., which substantially contribute black carbon, nitrate, sulfate, and organic aerosols to the ambient air, thus changing the air quality and atmospheric impact of aerosols. Aerosols in the atmosphere can also be produced from secondary chemical processes. The secondary formation mechanism of aerosols is very complex due to their complicated precursors and formation pathways, which has become a rapidly developing field in recent decades. In general, the fraction of different chemical components and the source contributions to aerosols in the atmosphere varies at different times and locations. A better characterization of aerosol chemical compositions and sources is key to elucidating their atmospheric fate, mitigating climate change, and protecting human health. For this Special Issue, the topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Chemical and physical properties of aerosols;
  • Chemical components and their mass fraction in aerosols;
  • Different source contribution to aerosols;
  • Formation and evolution mechanism of aerosols;
  • The environmental impact of different components of aerosols.

Dr. Shan Huang
Dr. Wei Wei Hu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chemical composition
  • source apportionment
  • organic aerosol
  • secondary formation
  • environmental impact
  • primary emission
  • anthropogenic/biogenic
  • chemical evolution
  • inorganic species

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 9310 KiB  
Article
A Novel Apportionment Method Utilizing Particle Mass Size Distribution across Multiple Particle Size Ranges
by Peizhi Wang, Qingsong Wang, Yuhuan Jia, Jingjin Ma, Chunying Wang, Liping Qiao, Qingyan Fu, Abdelwahid Mellouki, Hui Chen and Li Li
Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080955 - 10 Aug 2024
Viewed by 953
Abstract
Many cities in China are facing the dual challenge of PM2.5 and PM10 pollution. There is an urgent need to develop a cost-effective method that can apportion both with high-time resolution. A novel and practical apportionment method is presented in this [...] Read more.
Many cities in China are facing the dual challenge of PM2.5 and PM10 pollution. There is an urgent need to develop a cost-effective method that can apportion both with high-time resolution. A novel and practical apportionment method is presented in this study. It combines the measurement of particle mass size distribution (PMSD) with an optical particle counter (OPC) and the algorithm of normalized non-negative matrix factorization (N-NMF). Applied in the city center of Baoding, Hebei, this method separates four distinct pollution factors. Their sizes (ordered from the smallest to largest) range from 0.16 μm to 0.6 μm, 0.16 μm to 1.0 μm, 0.5 μm to 17.0 μm, and 2.0 μm to 20.0 μm, respectively. They correspondingly contribute to PM2.5 (PM10) with portions of 26% (17%), 37% (26%), 33% (41%), and 4% (16%), respectively, on average. The smaller three factors are identified as combustion, secondary, and industrial aerosols because of their high correlation with carbonaceous aerosols, nitrate aerosols, and trace elements of Fe/Mn/Ca in PM2.5, respectively. The largest-sized factor is linked to dust aerosols. The primary origin regions, oxidation degrees, and formation mechanisms of each source are further discussed. This provides a scientific basis for the comprehensive management of PM2.5 and PM10 pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere (2nd Edition))
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14 pages, 6400 KiB  
Article
Air Quality Monitoring with Low-Cost Sensors: A Record of the Increase of PM2.5 during Christmas and New Year’s Eve Celebrations in the City of Queretaro, Mexico
by Alejandro Rodríguez-Trejo, Harald N. Böhnel, Héctor E. Ibarra-Ortega, Dara Salcedo, Reneé González-Guzmán, Ana G. Castañeda-Miranda, Luis E. Sánchez-Ramos, Mauro A. E. Chaparro and Marcos A. E. Chaparro
Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 879; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080879 - 24 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1259
Abstract
The high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere have adverse effects on both the environment and human health, as well as on urban and faunal biodiversity. Short-term events, such as the burning of fireworks, attributable to human activity, result in a [...] Read more.
The high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere have adverse effects on both the environment and human health, as well as on urban and faunal biodiversity. Short-term events, such as the burning of fireworks, attributable to human activity, result in a significant and rapid increase in PM concentration levels within the atmosphere. We present findings derived from observations made using low-cost PM sensors deployed as part of the Environmental Monitoring Network in Querétaro, Mexico. These sensors utilize the Environmental Geo Monitoring Stations (EMGA) device, developed by the Institute of Geosciences at UNAM. The observation period spanned from 10 December 2023 to 10 January 2024, encompassed the Christmas and New Year holidays, and focused on PM2.5 concentrations, and a comparison with a similar period from 10 February 2024 to 10 March 2024 considered a typical activity period in the area. The results reveal two substantial increases in PM2.5 concentrations (from less than 50 µg/m3 to more than 340 µg/m3) over time and spatial distribution during this period, with notable increases observed during the festive season coincident with the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Specifically, prolonged periods exceeding up to 6 h were noted on festivity days. This research offers insight into the effects, trends, and spatial–temporal distribution of pollutants within the city of Queretaro, which may be used as a reference for other cities around the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere (2nd Edition))
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15 pages, 2829 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Sulfate Formation from Gas-Phase SO2 Oxidation in Non–•OH–Radical Environments
by Xiaofan Lv, Makroni Lily, Stanley Numbonui Tasheh, Julius Numbonui Ghogomu, Lin Du and Narcisse Tsona Tchinda
Atmosphere 2024, 15(1), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010064 - 3 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1474
Abstract
Recent research on atmospheric particle formation has shown substantial discrepancies between observed and modeled atmospheric sulfate levels. This is because models mostly consider sulfate originating from SO2 oxidation by •OH radicals in mechanisms catalyzed by solar radiation while ignoring other pathways [...] Read more.
Recent research on atmospheric particle formation has shown substantial discrepancies between observed and modeled atmospheric sulfate levels. This is because models mostly consider sulfate originating from SO2 oxidation by •OH radicals in mechanisms catalyzed by solar radiation while ignoring other pathways of non-radical SO2 oxidation that would substantially alter atmospheric sulfate levels. Herein, we use high-level quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory and coupled cluster theory to show that monoethanolamine (MEA), a typical alkanolamine pollutant released from CO2 capture technology, can facilitate the conversion of atmospheric SO2 to sulfate in a non–•OH–radical oxidation mechanism. The initial process is the MEA-induced SO2 hydrolysis leading to the formation of HOSO2−•MEAH+. The latter entity is thereafter oxidized by ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to form HSO4−•MEAH+, which is an identified stabilizing entity in sulfate-based aerosol formation. Results show that the HOSO2−•MEAH+ reaction with O3 is kinetically and thermodynamically more feasible than the reaction with NO2. The presence of an additional water molecule further promotes the HOSO2−•MEAH+ reaction with O3, which occurs in a barrierless process, while it instead favors HONO formation in the reaction with NO2. The investigated pathway highlights the potential role alkanolamines may play in SO2 oxidation to sulfate, especially under conditions that are not favorable for •OH production, thereby providing an alternative sulfate source for aerosol modeling. The studied mechanism is not only relevant to sulfate formation and may effectively compete with reactions with sulfur dioxide and hydroxyl radicals under heavily polluted and highly humid conditions such as haze events, but also an important pathway in MEA removal processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere (2nd Edition))
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Review

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20 pages, 2019 KiB  
Review
Light-Duty Vehicle Brake Emission Factors
by Barouch Giechaskiel, Theodoros Grigoratos, Panagiota Dilara, Traianos Karageorgiou, Leonidas Ntziachristos and Zissis Samaras
Atmosphere 2024, 15(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010097 - 11 Jan 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3291
Abstract
Particulate Matter (PM) air pollution has been linked to major adverse health effects. Road transport still contributes significantly to ambient PM concentrations, but mainly due to the non-exhaust emissions from vehicles. For the first time worldwide, limits for non-exhaust emissions have been proposed [...] Read more.
Particulate Matter (PM) air pollution has been linked to major adverse health effects. Road transport still contributes significantly to ambient PM concentrations, but mainly due to the non-exhaust emissions from vehicles. For the first time worldwide, limits for non-exhaust emissions have been proposed by the European Union for the upcoming Euro 7 step. For these reasons, interest in brake emissions has increased in the past few years. Realistic emission factors are necessary to accurately calculate the contribution of brake emissions to air pollution but also to estimate the emissions reduction potential of new or existing technologies and improved brake formulations. This paper reviews emission factors from light-duty vehicles reported in the literature, with a focus on those that followed the recently introduced Global Technical Regulation (GTR 24) methodology on brakes in light-duty vehicles. Reduction efficiencies of non-asbestos organic (NAO) pads, brake dust filters, ceramic discs, coated discs, and regenerative braking are also discussed. Finally, the emission factors are compared with roadside measurements of brake emissions and emission inventories worldwide. The findings of this study can be used as an input in emission inventories to estimate the contribution of brakes to air pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere (2nd Edition))
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