Ambient measurements and source apportionment of fossil fuel and biomass burning black carbon in Ontario

Healy, Robert M.; Sofowote, Uwayemi M.; Su, Yushan; Debosz, Jerzy; Noble, Michael; Jeong, Cheol–Heon; Wang, J.M.; Hilker, Nathan; Evans, Greg J.; Doerksen, Geoff; Jones, Keith; Munoz, Anthony

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.04.034

Cited by 139 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…During transport, its mixing state, morphology and optical properties change (China et al, 2015). As a result, BC has been observed in remote areas such as the polar regions (Huang et al, 2010;Weller et al, 2013;Qi et al, 2017;Xu et al, 2017) and the Tibetan Plateau (Cong et al, 2013). Qi et al (2017) found that Asian anthropogenic activities and biomass burning emissions from Siberia contributed 35 %-45 % and 46 %-64 %, respectively, to the sources of BC in the Arctic in April 2008 using GEOS-Chem modeling.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Xu et al (2017) also used a global transport model to conclude that the anthropogenic emissions from eastern and southern Asia contributed most to the Arctic BC column loading with percentages of 56 % and 37 % for the spring and annual contributions, respectively. To study the regional transport of BC, backward trajectory and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) analyses have also been employed (Huang et al, 2010;. However, previous studies have mostly focused on the impact of BC transportation on its physical and chemical properties at a given site (e.g., a megacity or a remote background site).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Intra-regional transport of black carbon between the south edge of the North China Plain and central China during winter haze episodes

Zheng

Kong

et al. 2019

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Black carbon (BC), which is formed from the incomplete combustion of fuel sources (mainly fossil fuel, biofuel and open biomass burning), is a chemically inert optical absorber in the atmosphere. It has significant impacts on global climate, regional air quality and human health. During transportation, its physical and chemical characteristics as well as its sources change dramatically. To investigate the properties of BC (i.e., mass concentration, sources and optical properties) during intra-regional transport between the southern edge of the North China Plain (SE-NCP) and central China (CC), simultaneous BC observations were conducted in a megacity (Wuhan – WH) in CC, in three borderline cities (Xiangyang – XY, Suixian – SX and Hong'an – HA; from west to east) between the SE-NCP and CC, and in a city (Luohe – LH) in the SE-NCP during typical winter haze episodes. Using an Aethalometer, the highest equivalent BC (eBC) mass concentrations and the highest aerosol absorption coefficients (σabs) were found in LH in the SE-NCP, followed by the borderline cities (XY, SX and HA) and WH. The levels, sources, optical properties (i.e., σabs and absorption Ångström exponent, AAE) and geographic origins of eBC were different between clean and polluted periods. Compared with clean days, higher eBC levels (26.4 %–163 % higher) and σabs (18.2 %–236 % higher) were found during pollution episodes due to the increased combustion of fossil fuels (increased by 51.1 %–277 %), which was supported by the decreased AAE values (decreased by 7.40 %–12.7 %). The conditional bivariate probability function (CBPF) and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) results showed that the geographic origins of biomass burning (BCbb) and fossil fuel (BCff) combustion-derived BC were different. Air parcels from the south dominated for border sites during clean days, with contributions of 46.0 %–58.2 %, whereas trajectories from the northeast showed higher contributions (37.5 %–51.2 %) during pollution episodes. At the SE-NCP site (LH), transboundary influences from the south (CC) exhibited a more frequent impact (with air parcels from this direction comprising 47.8 % of all parcels) on the ambient eBC levels during pollution episodes. At WH, eBC was mainly from the northeast transport route throughout the observation period. Two transportation cases showed that the mass concentrations of eBC, BCff and σabs all increased, from upwind to downwind, whereas AAE decreased. This study highlights that intra-regional prevention and control for dominant sources at each specific site should be considered in order to improve the regional air quality.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intra-regional transport of black carbon between the south edge of the North China Plain and central China during winter haze episodes

Zheng

Kong

et al. 2019

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The Aethalometer model has been applied in several studies for apportioning carbonaceous aerosol to fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning [33][34][35][36][37][38], despite certain uncertainties, mainly associated with the selection of appropriate values for α ff and α wb . In the present study, calculations were performed for the 470 (UV) and 950 nm (IR).…”

Section: Estimation Of Bc From Wood Burning and Fossil Fuel Combustionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual Variability of Black Carbon Concentrations Originating from Biomass and Fossil Fuel Combustion for the Suburban Aerosol in Athens, Greece

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The objective of this work was to assess the yearly contribution of fossil fuel combustion (BC ff ) and wood burning (BC wb ) to equivalent black carbon (eBC) concentrations, in Athens, Greece. Measurements were conducted at a suburban site from March 2013 to February 2014 and included absorption coefficients at seven wavelengths and PM 2.5 chemical composition data for key biomass burning markers, i.e., levoglucosan, potassium (K) and elemental and organic carbon (EC, OC). A well-documented methodology of corrections for aethalometer attenuation coefficients was applied with a resulting annual dataset of derived absorption coefficients for the suburban Athens' atmospheric aerosol. The Aethalometer model was applied for the source apportionment of eBC. An optimum Ångström exponent for fossil fuel (α ff ) was found, based on the combined use of the model with levoglucosan data. The measured eBC concentrations were equal to 2.4 ± 1.0 µg m −3 and 1.6 ± 0.6 µg m −3 , during the cold and the warm period respectively. The contribution from wood burning was significantly higher during the cold period (21 ± 11%, versus 6 ± 7% in the warm period). BC ff displayed a clear diurnal pattern with a morning peak between 8 and 10 a.m. (during morning rush hour) and a second peak during the evening and night hours, due to the shallowing of the mixing layer. Regression analysis between BC wb concentrations and biomass burning markers (levoglucosan, K and OC/EC ratio) supported the validity of the results.

show abstract

“…The average eBC to EC ratio within standard deviation was 1.76 ± 0.40 (n = 62) during the campaign. The high ratio is common for rural environments and is in part attributed to underestimation of the mass absorption coefficient [61,62]. The best agreement with eBC to EC ratio close to 1.2 was obtained during periods with the lowest OC to EC ratios.…”

Section: Air Quality Situationmentioning

confidence: 90%

Source Contributions to Rural Carbonaceous Winter Aerosol in North-Eastern Poland

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Concentrations of aerosol particles in Poland and their sources are rarely discussed in peer-reviewed journal articles despite serious air quality issues. A source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosol particles was performed during winter at a rural background environment field site in north-eastern Poland. Data were used of light absorption at seven wavelengths and levoglucosan concentrations along existing monitoring of PM 2.5 , organic carbon and elemental carbon (OC/EC) at the Diabła Góra EMEP monitoring site between January 17 and March 19 during the EMEP intensive winter campaign of 2018. Average PM 2.5 , OC, EC, equivalent black carbon (eBC) and levoglucosan concentrations and standard deviations amounted to 18.5 ± 9.3, 4.5 ± 2.5, 0.57 ± 0.28, 1.04 ± 0.62 and 0.134 ± 0.084 µg m −3 respectively. Various tools for source apportionment were used to obtain a source contribution to carbonaceous matter (CM) with three components. The wood combustion source component contributed 1.63 µg m −3 (21%), domestic coal combustion 3.3 µg m −3 (41%) and road transport exhaust 2.9 µg m −3 (38%). Similar levels and temporal variability were found for the nearby Lithuanian site of Preila, corroborating the Polish results.

show abstract

Ambient measurements and source apportionment of fossil fuel and biomass burning black carbon in Ontario

Cited by 139 publications

References 56 publications

Intra-regional transport of black carbon between the south edge of the North China Plain and central China during winter haze episodes

Intra-regional transport of black carbon between the south edge of the North China Plain and central China during winter haze episodes

Annual Variability of Black Carbon Concentrations Originating from Biomass and Fossil Fuel Combustion for the Suburban Aerosol in Athens, Greece

Source Contributions to Rural Carbonaceous Winter Aerosol in North-Eastern Poland

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About