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Characterization of submicron aerosols in the urban outflow of the central Pearl River Delta region of China

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Abstract

Submicron aerosol particles (with aerodynamic diameters less than 1 μm, PM1) were sampled and measured in Heshan, an urban outflow site of Guangzhou megacity in Pearl River Delta in South China, using an Aerodyne High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) in November 2010 during 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. The mean PM1 mass concentration measured was 47.9 ± 17.0 μg·m−3 during the campaign, with organic aerosol (OA) and sulfate being the two dominant species, accounting for 36.3% and 20.9% of the total mass, respectively, followed by black carbon (17.1%, measured by an aethalometer), nitrate (12.9%), ammonium (9.6%) and chloride (3.1%). The average size distributions of the species (except black carbon) were dominated by an accumulation mode peaking at ∼550 nm. Calculations based on high-resolution organic mass spectrum showed that, C, H, O and N on average contributed 58.1%, 7.3%, 30.7%, and 3.9% to the total organic mass, respectively. The average ratio of organic mass over organic carbon mass (OM/OC) was 1.73 ± 0.08. Four components of OA were identified by the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis, including a hydrocarbon-like (HOA), a biomass burning (BBOA) and two oxygenated (SV-OOA and LV-OOA) organic aerosol components, which on average accounted for 18.0%, 14.3%, 28.8% and 38.9% of the total organic mass, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Urban Habitat Environmental Science and Technology, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Zhaoheng Gong, Zijuan Lan, Liwu Zeng, Lingyan He & Xiaofeng Huang

  2. Qingdao Environmental Monitoring Center, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Lian Xue

  3. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Lingyan He

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  1. Zhaoheng Gong
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  2. Zijuan Lan
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  4. Liwu Zeng
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  5. Lingyan He
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  6. Xiaofeng Huang
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Correspondence to Xiaofeng Huang.

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Gong, Z., Lan, Z., Xue, L. et al. Characterization of submicron aerosols in the urban outflow of the central Pearl River Delta region of China. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 6, 725–733 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-012-0441-8

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