Source‐oriented model for air pollutant effects on visibility

Abstract

Abstract. A source-oriented model for air pollutant effects on visibility has been developed that can compute light scattering, light extinction, and estimated visual range directly from data on gas phase and primary particle phase air pollutant emissions from sources. The importance of such a model is that it can be used to compute the effect of emission control proposals on visibility-related parameters in advance of the adoption of such control programs. The model has been assembled by embedding several aerosol process modules within the photochemical trajectory model previously developed for aerosol nitrate concentration predictions by Russell et al. [1983] and Russell and Cass [1986]. These modules describe the size distribution and chemical composition of primary particle emissions, the speciation of organic vapor emissions, atmospheric chemical reactions, transport of condensible material between the gas and the particle phases, fog chemistry, dry deposition, and atmospheric light scattering and light absorption.

Secondary organic aerosol formation from phenolic compounds in the absence of NO<sub>x</sub>

“…SOA has been suggested to contribute to climate change (IPCC, 2007;Kanakidou et al, 2005), adverse human health effects (Davidson et al, 2005;Pope and Dockery, 2006), and a reduction in visibility (Eldering and Cass, 1996). Previous…”

An Investigation into the Ionic Chemical Composition and Mixing State of Biomass Burning Particles Recorded During TRACE-P P3B Flight#10

“…Many researchers have investigated the degree to which atmospheric aerosols are mixed (e.g., Covert and Heintzenberg, 1984;Zhang et al, 1993;Parungo et al, 1994;Cooke and Wilson, 1996;Eldering and Cass, 1996;Haywood et al, 1997;Kleeman et al, 1997), however, in many atmospheric situations it is not well characterized. It is generally assumed that for relatively young air masses (e.g., urban aerosols), particles mostly exist as external mixtures (e.g., Covert and Heintzenberg, 1984;Wexler et al, 1994;Eldering and Cass, 1996;Kleeman et al, 1997), whereas particles in aged air mass (e.g., aerosols in the free troposphere or remote regions) are likely internally mixed (e.g., Cooke and Wilson, 1996;Parungo et al, 1996). In the BB plumes investigated here, the air masses are relatively old and were encountered in the remote mid-troposphere.…”

Interpretation of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Diesel Exhaust Photooxidation in an Environmental Chamber

“…OA contributes to global climate change (Kanakidou et al 2005;IPCC 2007), adverse human health risks (Davidson et al 2005;Pope and Dockery 2006), and visibility reduction (Eldering and Cass 1996). Air quality models using parameters developed from environmental chamber studies severely underpredict OA in the atmosphere pointing towards large uncertainties including "missing precursors" and physicochemical processes governing formation and evolution of OA in the atmosphere (Volkamer et al 2006).…”