Size-resolved aerosol chemical composition over the Italian Peninsula during typical summer and winter conditions

Carbone, Claudio; Decesari, Stefano; Mircea, Mihaela; Giulianelli, L.; Finessi, E.; Rinaldi, Matteo; Fuzzi, S.; Marinoni, Angela; Duchi, R.; Perrino, Cinzia; Sargolini, Tiziana; Vardè, Massimiliano; Sprovieri, Francesca; Gobbi, Gian Paolo; Angelini, F.; Facchini, M. C.

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.08.008

Cited by 105 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…This concentration, corresponding to the 97th percentile for the years 2009-2011, was significantly higher than the spring average (0.15 ± 0.37 µg m −3 ) of the whole 3 yr data set and indicates an enrichment in ammonium against background conditions, which are normally very low at CMN due to the absence of significant sources (Carbone et al, 2010). This ammonium could have resulted from the volcanic emission of NH 3 (Rose et al, 1986;Allen et al, 2000) or, more probably (given the long distance travelled by the air mass), from the neutralisation of acidic sulphate particles during the transport downwind.…”

Section: Case 2: 18-20 May 2010mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Except for special intensive field campaigns, such as the one described in this paper, one nocturnal sample is collected per week (from 22:00 to 06:00 LT, 8 h sampling time). The sample is analysed for total carbon (TC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) by a multianalyser (multi N/C 2100, Analytik Jena), equipped with a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) detector, while ionic chromatography is employed for major water-soluble inorganic anions (Cl − ; NO The choice of nocturnal sampling is oriented towards catching the free troposphere conditions both in the cold and in the warm season because occasionally, especially around noontime during summer days, the site experiences maxima in aerosol number and black carbon (BC) concentrations due to enhanced vertical transport from lower elevations and mountain breeze wind regime (Cristofanelli et al, 2007;Marinoni et al, 2008;Carbone et al, 2010). Based on transport forecasts, indicating the possible arrival of the volcanic plume, from 20 April the routine sampling was intensified, with the collection of 11 samples (9 nocturnal and 2 diurnal) covering the period from 20 April to 19 May 2010.…”

Section: Chemical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In situ physical and chemical characterisation of the Eyjafjallajökull aerosol plume in the free troposphere over Italy

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Continuous measurements of physical and chemical properties at the Mt. Cimone (Italy) GAW-WMO (Global Atmosphere Watch, World Meteorological Organization) Global Station (2165 m a.s.l.) have allowed the detection of the volcanic aerosol plume resulting from the Eyjafjallajökull (Iceland) eruption of spring 2010. The event affected the Mt. Cimone site after a transport over a distance of more than 3000 km. Two main transport episodes were detected during the eruption period, showing a volcanic fingerprint discernible against the free tropospheric background conditions typical of the site, the first from April 19 to 21 and the second from 18 to 20 May 2010. This paper reports the modification of aerosol characteristics observed during the two episodes, both characterised by an abrupt increase in fine and, especially, coarse mode particle number.Analysis of major, minor and trace elements by different analytical techniques (ionic chromatography, particle induced X-ray emission-particle induced gamma-ray emission (PIXE-PIGE) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)) were performed on aerosols collected by ground-level discrete sampling. The resulting database allows the characterisation of aerosol chemical composition during the volcanic plume transport and in background conditions. During the passage of the volcanic plume, the fine fraction was dominated by sulphates, denoting the secondary origin of this mode, mainly resulting from in-plume oxidation of volcanic SO 2 . By contrast, the coarse fraction was characterised by increased concentration of numerous elements of crustal origin, such as Fe, Ti, Mn, Ca, Na, and Mg, which enter the composition of silicate minerals. Data analysis of selected elements (Ti, Al, Fe, Mn) allowed the estimation of the volcanic plume's contribution to total PM 10 , resulting in a local enhancement of up to 9.5 µg m −3 , i.e. 40 % of total PM 10 on 18 May, which was the most intense of the two episodes. These results appear significant, especially in light of the huge distance of Mt. Cimone from the source, confirming the widespread diffusion of the Eyjafjallajökull ashes over Europe.

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Section: Case 2: 18-20 May 2010mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Chemical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

In situ physical and chemical characterisation of the Eyjafjallajökull aerosol plume in the free troposphere over Italy

et al. 2014

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“…(Table S3) compares the chemical composition of fine fraction aerosol (PM 2.5 ), for 4 km and 20 km grid simulations, with the data shown in Fig. 4 by Carbone et al (2010) for July 2007, from 14 to 18. This period was characterised by stagnant conditions determined by the presence of an anticyclonic circulation in the central Mediterranean area.…”

Section: Chemical Composition Of Aerosolmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mass concentrations of aerosol species (PM components) such as sulphate (SO 4 2-), nitrate (NO 3 -), ammonium (NH 4 + ), organic (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in the fine fraction (PM 2.5 ) were examined against literature data from Perrone et al (2012) and Carbone et al (2010) and against data from the EMEP database for the stations Ispra and Montelibretti. Mass concentrations of carbonaceous aerosol and contribution of primary and secondary sources to organic aerosol were compared to the data shown in Larsen et al (2012).…”

Section: Chemical Composition Of Aerosolmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2, SPC is a rural station in Po Valley, CMN is a high altitude site in the Apennine mountains, MTL is a peri-urban site and REN is a rural station close to Tyrrhenian Sea. The sum of WSOM (water soluble organic matter), WINCM (water insoluble carbonaceous matter) and EC (Carbone et al, 2010) is here represented as the sum of OM and EC, carbonaceous aerosol. Fig.…”

Section: Chemical Composition Of Aerosolmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of Grid Resolution on Aerosol Predictions: A Case Study over Italy

Mircea

Grigoraș

D’Isidoro

et al. 2016

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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This study investigates the effect of grid resolution on the particulate matter (PM 10 , PM 2.5 ) mass concentrations and its chemical composition simulated with the AMS-MINNI modelling system. The air pollution was simulated over Italy with grid resolutions of 20 and 4 km, for a whole year. The gridded emissions were produced performing speciation and spacetime disaggregation of aggregated inventory data, using both land use information and anthropogenic activity-based profiles. Often, the fine grid simulations, based on high resolution gridded emissions, improved the agreement between model and measurements. In particular, the use of a fine grid improved predictions of primary species such as elemental carbon (EC), PM 10 and PM 2.5 mainly at urban stations. An improvement of predicted PM components and mass concentration at high altitudes sites was also observed, especially during winter. However, a general overestimation of nitrate (NO 3 -) and of secondary inorganic species, more evident at night than during the day, was increased by employing a finer grid. Organic carbon (OC) was more affected by the grid resolution than the other species. At urban and kerbside stations, the use of a finer grid resulted in an overestimation of primary organic carbon aerosol (POC) but had a negligible effect on secondary organic carbon aerosol (SOC). The overestimation of carbonaceous aerosol (defined as the sum of EC, POC and SOC), at an urban station, opposite to general underestimation of this component by air quality (AQ) models, indicates that the anthropogenic emissions can contribute as much as organic model formulation at the success of simulation in reproducing experimental data.The modelling results obtained under stable meteorological conditions characterised by weak winds, which are often encountered in the Po Valley, did not improve substantially by the increase of the modelling system resolution.

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Modeled aerosol nitrate formation pathways during wintertime in the Great Lakes region of North America

et al. 2014

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Episodic wintertime particle pollution by ammonium nitrate is an important air quality concern across the Midwest U.S. Understanding and accurately forecasting PM 2.5 episodes are complicated by multiple pathways for aerosol nitrate formation, each with uncertain rate parameters. Here, the Community Multiscale Air Quality model (CMAQ) simulated regional atmospheric nitrate budgets during the 2009 LADCO Winter Nitrate Study, using integrated process rate (IPR) and integrated reaction rate (IRR) tools to quantify relevant processes. Total nitrate production contributing to PM 2.5 episodes is a regional phenomenon, with peak production over the Ohio River Valley and southern Great Lakes. Total nitrate production in the lower troposphere is attributed to three pathways, with 57% from heterogeneous conversion of N 2 O 5 , 28% from the reaction of OH and NO 2 , and 15% from homogeneous conversion of N 2 O 5 . TNO 3 formation rates varied day-to-day and on synoptic timescales. Rate-limited production does not follow urban-rural gradients and NO x emissions due, to counterbalancing of urban enhancement in daytime HNO 3 production with nocturnal reductions. Concentrations of HNO 3 and N 2 O 5 and nighttime TNO 3 formation rates have maxima aloft (100-500 m), leading to net total nitrate vertical flux during episodes, with substantial vertical gradients in nitrate partitioning. Uncertainties in all three pathways are relevant to wintertime aerosol modeling and highlight the importance of interacting transport and chemistry processes during ammonium nitrate episodes, as well as the need for additional constraint on the system through field and laboratory experiments.

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Size-resolved aerosol chemical composition over the Italian Peninsula during typical summer and winter conditions

Cited by 105 publications

References 23 publications

In situ physical and chemical characterisation of the Eyjafjallajökull aerosol plume in the free troposphere over Italy

In situ physical and chemical characterisation of the Eyjafjallajökull aerosol plume in the free troposphere over Italy

Impact of Grid Resolution on Aerosol Predictions: A Case Study over Italy

Modeled aerosol nitrate formation pathways during wintertime in the Great Lakes region of North America

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