Characteristics of organic and elemental carbon in atmospheric fine particles in Tianjin, China--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Li, W., & Bai, Z. (2009). Characteristics of organic and elemental carbon in atmospheric fine particles in Tianjin, China. Particuology, 7(6), 432–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2009.06.010

Characteristics of organic and elemental carbon in atmospheric fine particles in Tianjin, China

Weifang Li ^{a b}, Zhipeng Bai ^a *

a State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ambient Air Particulate Matter Pollution Prevention and Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
b Institute of New Energy Material Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, China

10.1016/j.partic.2009.06.010

Volume 7, Issue 6, December 2009, Pages 432-437

Received 3 March 2009, Revised 4 June 2009, Accepted 11 June 2009, Available online 14 October 2009.

E-mail: zbai@nankai.edu.cn

Highlights

Abstract

PM_2.5 samples were collected at urban, industrial and coastal sites in Tianjin during winter, spring and summer in 2007. Concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were analyzed using the IMPROVE thermal–optical reflectance (TOR) method. Both OC and EC exhibited a clear seasonal pattern with higher concentrations observed in the winter than in the spring and summer, due to cooperative effect of changes in emission rates and seasonal meteorology. The concentrations of carbonaceous species were also influenced by the local factors at different sampling sites, ranking in the order of industrial > urban > coastal during winter and spring. In the summer, the port emissions, enriched with EC, had a significant impact on carbonaceous aerosols at the coastal site. Total carbonaceous aerosol accounted for 40.0% in winter, 33.8% in spring and 31.4% in summer of PM_2.5 mass. Good correlation (R = 0.84–0.93) between OC and EC indicated that they had common dominant sources of combustion such as coal burning and traffic emissions. The daily average OC/EC ratios ranged from 2.1 to 9.1, the elevated OC/EC ratios being found in the winter. The estimated secondary organic carbon (SOC) accounted for 46.9%, 35.3% and 40.2% of the total OC in the winter, spring and summer, respectively, indicating that SOC may be an important contributor to fine organic aerosol in Tianjin.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

PM_2.5; Organic carbon; Elemental carbon; Secondary organic carbon; Tianjin

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