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Evolution of atmospheric aerosol particles during a pollution accumulation process: a case study

Hongya Niu 1 2 * ,
Wei Hu 2 3 ,
1Key Laboratory of Resource Exploration Research of Hebei Province; Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, Heibei, China.
2State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
3Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan.
4Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center of Coal Exploitation, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, Hebei, China.

World Journal of Engineering

ISSN: 1708-5284

Article publication date: 23 February 2015

81

Abstract

The characteristics of fine aerosol particles were investigated at an urban site in Beijing during an atmospheric pollution accumulation process. The organics, sulfate and BC were the dominant components in fine particles in the clear air, and the concentrations of organics, sulfate, nitrate and ammonium increased during the haze formation. The mass concentrations of primary species (chloride and BC) in the clear air were similar to those in the haze. The morphology, mixing state and aging status of fine particles in the clear air were different from those in the haze. Accumulation secondary particles were detected with high frequency and accumulation secondary particles with coating were rare in all the samples. The frequency of soot particles with coating in the clear air was lower than that in the haze. The number ratio of accumulation secondary particles to soot containing particles changed from 3:1 in clear air to 2:3 in the haze. These results indicated that the number frequency of accumulation secondary particles decreased while that of the soot containing particles increased with the air pollutants accumulating. The core-shell ratio of coated soot particles ranged between 0.1–0.6 was 62% in the clear air, and 82% in the haze. The mode sizes for the core and the shell of soot particles were 0.35 μm and 0.55 μm in the clear air, and 0.35 μm and 1.0 μm in the haze, respectively. The mean diameters of the core and the shell were 0.3 μm and was 0.6 μm in the clear air, and 0.4 μm and 1.0 μm in the haze, respectively. These results indicated that with the air pollution accumulating, the frequency of accumulation secondary particles decreased while the soot containing particles increased. The aging process of soot particles was stronger in the haze, and resulted in greater hygroscopicity for soot particles in the haze.

Keywords

Citation

Niu, H., Hu, W., Pian, W., Fan, J. and Wang, J. (2015), "Evolution of atmospheric aerosol particles during a pollution accumulation process: a case study", World Journal of Engineering, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1260/1708-5284.12.1.51

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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