We used a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to quantify the mass loss resulting from exposure of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles deposited on the QCM crystal to 254, 305, and 365 nm radiation. We coupled the QCM setup to a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) to chemically resolve the photoproduced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) responsible for the mass loss. The photoproduced VOCs detected by the PTR-ToF-MS accounted for ∼50% of the mass loss rates measured with the QCM. Weakly absorbing SOA produced by ozonolysis of α-pinene or d-limonene exhibited a much larger mass loss rate in both the QCM and the PTR-ToF-MS data compared to that of strongly absorbing SOA produced by photooxidation of guaiacol. We predict that the fractional mass loss rate of α-pinene ozonolysis SOA should be as high as ∼1%/h on the summer solstice in Los Angeles in the lower troposphere and ∼4%/h in the stratosphere. The mass loss rates for SOA particles crossing a typical 254 nm oxidation flow reactor, which is routinely used for rapid aging of organic aerosol particles, are expected to be negligible because of the short residence time inside the reactor.

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