Some Features of Black Carbon Aerosols Connected with Regional Climate Over Pristine Environment

The authors report the results of aethalometer black carbon(BC)aerosol measurements carried out over a rural(pristine)site,Panchgaon,Haryana State,India during the winter months of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.They are compared with collocated and concurrent observations from the Air Quality Monitoring Station(AQMS),which provides synchronous air pollution and surface meteorological parameters.Secular variations in BC mass concentration are studied and explained with variations in local meteorological parameters.The biomass burning fire count retrievals from NASA-NOAA VIIRS satellite,and backward airmass trajectories from NOAA-ERL HYSPLIT Model analysis have also been utilized to explain the findings.They reveal that the north-west Indian region contributes maximum to the BC mass concentration over the study site during the study period.Moreover,the observed BC mass concentrations corroborate the synchronous fire count,primary and secondary pollutant concentrations.The results were found to aid the development of mitigation methods to achieve a sustainable climate system.

Nitrogenous and carbonaceous aerosols in PM_(2.5) and TSP during pre-monsoon:Characteristics and sources in the highly polluted mountain valley

This study reports for the first time a comprehensive analysis of nitrogenous and carbona-ceous aerosols in simultaneously collected PM_(2.5) and TSP during pre-monsoon(March-May 2018)from a highly polluted urban Kathmandu Valley(KV)of the Himalayan foothills.The mean mass concentration of PM_(2.5)(129.8 μg/m^(3))was only-25%of TSP mass(558.7 μg/m^(3))indicating the dominance of coarser mode aerosols.However,the mean concentration as well as fractional contributions of water-soluble total nitrogen(WSTN)and carbonaceous species reveal their predominance in find-mode aerosols.The mean mass concentration of WSTN was 17.43±4.70 μg/m^(3)(14%)in PM_(2.5) and 24.64±8.07 μg/m^(3)(5%)in TSP.Moreover,the fractional contribution of total carbonaceous aerosols(TCA)is much higher in PM_(2.5)(~34%)than that in TSP(~20%).The relatively low OC/EC ratio in PM_(2.5)(3.03±1.47)and TSP(4.64±1.73)suggests fossil fuel combustion as the major sources of carbonaceous aerosols with contributions from secondary organic aerosols.Five-day air mass back trajectories sim-ulated with the HYSPLIT model,together with MODIS fire counts indicate the influence of local emissions as well as transported pollutants from the Indo-Gangetic Plain region to the south of the Himalayan foothills.Principal component analysis(PCA)also suggests a mixed contribution from other local anthropogenic,biomass burning,and crustal sources.Our re-sults highlight that it is necessary to control local emissions as well as regional transport while designing mitigation measures to reduce the KV's air pollution.

Seasonal changes in TC and WSOC and their ^13C isotope ratios in Northeast Asian aerosols： land surface–biosphere–atmosphere interactions

In order to understand the relative importance of anthropogenic and biological sources of carbonaceous aerosols in Northeast Asia,we measured total carbon(TC)and water-soluble organic carbon(WSOC)and their stable carbon isotope ratios(d^(13)C)in total suspended particulates collected from Sapporo,northern Japan(43.07°N,141.36°E)over a 1-year period(during 2 September 2009and 5 October 2010).Temporal variations of TC showed a gradual decrease from mid-autumn to winter followed by a gradual increase to growing season with a peak in early summer.Both d^(13)C_(TC)and d^(13)C_(WSOC)showed very similar temporal trends with a gradual enrichment of^(13)C from mid-autumn to winter followed by a depletion in the^(13)C to early summer and thereafter it remained stable,except for few cases.Based on the results obtained together with the air mass trajectories,we found that biogenic emissions including biological particles(e.g.,pollen)and secondary organic aerosol formation from biogenic volatile organic compounds are the important sources of carbonaceous aerosols in spring/summer whereas fungal spores from soil and biomass burning and enhanced fossil fuel combustion contribute significantly in autumn/winter and in winter,respectively,in Northeast Asia.

A Modeling Study of the Effects of Direct Radiative Forcing Due to Carbonaceous Aerosol on the Climate in East Asia

The study investigated the effects of global direct radiative forcing due to carbonaceous aerosol on the climate in East Asia, using the CAM3 developed by NCAR. The results showed that carbonaceous aerosols cause negative forcing at the top of the atmosphere （TOA） and surface under clear sky conditions, but positive forcing at the TOA and weak negative forcing at the surface under all sky conditions. Hence, clouds could change the sign of the direct radiative forcing at the TOA, and weaken the forcing at the surface. Carbonaceous aerosols have distinct effects on the summer climate in East Asia. In southern China and India, it caused the surface temperature to increase, but the total cloud cover and precipitation to decrease. However, the opposite effects are caused for most of northern China and Bangladesh. Given the changes in temperature, vertical velocity, and surface streamflow caused by carbonaceous aerosol in this simulation, carbonaceous aerosol could also induce summer precipitation to decrease in southern China but increase in northern China.

Temporal Variability in Fine Carbonaceous Aerosol over Two Years in Two Megacities:Beijing and Toronto

Time-series of weekly total carbon （TC） concentrations of fine aerosol particles （PM2.5） in Beijing and Toronto were compared to investigate their respective levels and temporal patterns over two years from August 2001 through July 2003. In addition to this comparison, differences in the factors contributing to the observed concentrations and their temporal variations are discussed. Based upon past knowledge about the two megacities with highly contrasting air pollutant levels, it is not surprising that the average TC concentration in Belling （31.5 μg C m^-3） was greater than that in Toronto by a factor of 8.3. Despite their large concentration differences, in both cities TC comprised a similarly large component of PM2.5. TC concentrations exhibited very different seasonal patterns between the two cities. In Beijing, TC experienced higher levels and greater weekly fluctuations in winter whereas in Toronto this behavior was seen in summer. As a result, the greatest gap in TC concentrations between Beijing and Toronto （by a factor of 12.7） occurred in winter, while the smallest gap （a factor of 4.6） was in summer. In Beijing, seasonal variations in the emissions probably played a greater role than meteorology in influencing the TC seasonality, while in Toronto during the warm months more than 80% of the hourly winds were recorded from the south, along with many potential anthropogenic sources for the days with high TC concentrations. This comparison of the differences provides insight into the major factors affecting carbonaceous aerosol in each city.

Measurement of Atmospheric Black Carbon Concentration in Rural and Urban Environments: Cases of Lamto and Abidjan

Black carbon is one of the primary aerosols directly emitted from biomass known to have strong absorbing properties. The INDAAF and PASMU observational field campaigns which took place (2018) in Abidjan (urban area) and Lamto (rural area) allow the analysis of Black carbon concentration at different time scales through real-time measurements using an analyzer named Aethalometer AE-33. Results presented here show at Lamto: 1) for the diurnal scale an average of 1.71 ± 0.3 μg⋅m-3 (0.34 ± 0.09 μg⋅m-3) in the dry (wet) season;2) for the monthly scale an average of 1.14 ± 0.84 μg⋅m-3;3) on the seasonal scale, an average of 2.2 ± 0.02 μg⋅m-3 (0.6 ± 0.19 μg⋅m-3) in the dry (wet) season. The black carbon variation at Lamto is seasonal with an amplification factor of 85.6. Regarding the urban area of Abidjan, due to sampling issues, our analyses were limited to daily, diurnal and weekly time scales. We observed: a) at a daily scale an average of 5.31.± 2.5 μg⋅m-3, b) diurnal scale, an average ranging from 6.87 to 13.92 μg⋅m-3. The analysis indicated that emissions from urban areas are more related to social and economic activities, with weekday concentrations (7.24 μg⋅m-3) higher than concentrations over the weekend (e.g. Saturday 6.59 μg⋅m-3 and Sunday 6.00 μg⋅m-3). Moreover, BC concentration in Abidjan is quite noticeable compared to that of rural areas (Lamto). The ratio between the maximum values of the two areas is of the order of 5.86. In addition, concentrations in some urban areas are slightly above the daily threshold set by the WHO (10 μg⋅m-3). Therefore, the levels of urban BC concentrations are alarming whilst rural BC concentrations remain below daily WHO thresholds and are of the same magnitude as those of West African megacities. This study underlies that BC concentrations at Lamto are mainly related to biomass combustion sources while those from urban areas are related to traffic sources. The latter is permanently active, unlike those in rural Lamto, which is seasonal.

Characterization of PM2.5 Mass Concentration in the Onshore of Sanya, China

Numbers of real-time data(E-BAM)of PM2.5 were collected in the period from Jan 8th 2012 to Jan 1st 2013 at the laboratory of Tropical Ocean University(Sanya,China).The average mass concentration was 19.7μg/m³.The highest 40.5μg/m³in October compared to the lowest 14.1μg/m³in July.From a seasonal perspective,the average PM2.5 mass concentration in fall and winter are relatively higher than that in both spring and summer.On the basis of satellite map of fire points and backward trajectories of the air masses,we primarily deduced that the PM2.5 in Sanya may be caused by the biomass burning and industrial pollutants from the area of Pearl River Delta of China and the Indo-China peninsula(e.g.Vietnam,Laos).

Carbonaceous aerosol transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the Himalayas:Carbon isotope evidence and light absorption characteristics

The Indo-Gangetic Plain(IGP)is a major regional and global emitter of atmospheric pollutants,which adversely affect surrounding areas such as the Himalayas.We present a comprehensive dataset on carbonaceous aerosol(CA)composition,radiocarbon(D14C)-based source apportionment,and light absorption of total suspended particle(TSP)samples collected over a 3-year period from high-altitude Jomsom in the central Himalayas.The 3-year mean TSP,organic carbon(OC),and elemental carbon(EC)concentrations were 92.0±28.6,9.74±6.31,and 2.02±1.35 lg m^(3),respectively,with the highest concentrations observed during the pre-monsoon season,followed by the post-monsoon,winter,and monsoon seasons.The △^(14)C analysis revealed that the contribution of fossil fuel combustion(ffossil)to EC was 47.9%±11.5%,which is consistent with observations in urban and remote regions in South Asia and attests that EC likely arrives in Jomsom from upwind IGP sources via long-range transport.In addition,the lowest f_(fossil)(38.7%±13.3%)was observed in winter,indicating large contributions in this season from local biomass burning.The mass absorption cross-section of EC(MACEC:8.27±1.76 m^(2)/g)and watersoluble organic carbon(MACWSOC:0.98±0.45 m^(2)/g)were slightly higher and lower than those reported in urban regions,respectively,indicating that CA undergo an aging process.Organic aerosol coating during transport and variation of biomass burning probably led to the seasonal variation in MAC of two components.Overall,WSOC contributed considerably to the light absorption(11.1%±4.23%)of EC.The findings suggest that to protect glaciers of the Himalayas from pollution-related melting,it is essential to mitigate emissions from the IGP.

Pollutant emissions from biomass burning:A review on emission characteristics,environmental impacts,and research perspectives

Biomass is one most abundant resource on the earth providing important energies in support of so-cioeconomic development in many areas.Burning of biomass fuels comprises to nearly 10%of the total energy from anthropogenic combustion processes:however,as the burning is usually incomplete,this process yields products of incomplete combustion posing consequently significant impacts on air quality,human health,and climate change.Here,we analyzed spatiotemporal characteristics in intentional and unintentional biomass burning from different sectors,discussed impacts of biomass burning emissions on indoor and outdoor air quality,and consequent influences on human health.The global total con-sumption amount of biomass including both natural and anthropogenic sources was approximately 7900 Tg in 2019,with significantly large regional and sectorial discrepancies among regions.Globally,anthropogenic biomass burning amounts increased gradually,but notably in some developing countries like China residential consumption of biomass fuels,as one large sector of biomass use,decreased over time.Uncommercial biomass consumption needs to be accurately quantified.There are relatively rich datasets of pollutant emission factors from biomass burning,including laboratory and field tests,but still large variations exit and contribute substantially to the uncertainty in emission inventory.Global pri-mary PM2.5,black carbon and organic carbon emissions from biomass burning were about 51,4.6,and 29 Tg,respectively,contributing to nearly 70%,55%,and 90%of the total emission from all sources,and emissions from the residential sector and open fires are major sources.Brown carbon emissions from biomass burning attracts growing interests but available studies adopted different methodologies challenging the comparability of those results.Biomass burning emissions polluted not only ambient air but more severely indoor air quality,adversely affecting human health.Future studies that should be emphasized and promoted are suggested.

Size-resolved carbonaceous components and water-soluble ions measurements of ambient aerosol in Beijing

A MOUDI-120 sampler was used in Beijing to collect multi-stage samples in the summer and winter of 2013 to 2015. Thirty-three sample sets were collected during the daytime,nighttime, and different pollution levels. The actual relative humidity in the impactors was calculated for the first time. The carbonaceous components（organic and elemental carbon,OC and EC, respectively） and water-soluble inorganic ions（Na~＋, NH4~＋, K~＋, Mg^（2＋）, Ca^（2＋）, Cl^-, NO3^-,and SO4^（2-）） were analyzed in each sample. The characteristics of the mass concentration distribution and charge balance were discussed. On the basis of relative humidity in the impactors, aerosols less than 1.0 μm were sampled under relatively dry conditions in most cases. The concentration levels for the chemical species were higher in the winter than in the summer. Three modes（condensation mode, droplet mode, and coarse mode） could be identified from the distributions of NH4~＋, NO3^-, SO4^（2-）, Cl^-, K~＋, OC and EC. The distribution characteristics for the pollution dissipation process were different from the pollution accumulation process. NO3^-and NO2^-contributed most of the negative electric charges in the stage below 0.1 μm. In the condensation mode, the cations were dominated by NH4~＋, which was sufficient to balance the anions. In the droplet mode of the heavily polluted samples,the ammonium was not sufficient to balance the anions. In the coarse mode, the positive electric charges were primarily composed of metal cations. The analyzed anions were not sufficient to neutralize the measured cations.

Source dynamics of carbonaceous aerosol during the haze bloom-decay process in China based on radiocarbon and organic molecular tracer

With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences,the research team led by Prof.Li Jun(李军)at the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry,Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry,Chinese Academy of Sciences,illustrated the source dynamics of carbonaceous aerosol during the haze bloom-decay process in Beijing and Guangzhou based on

Effect of chemical composition of PM_(2.5) on visibility in Guangzhou,China,2007 spring

The object of this study was to investigate the correlation of visibility with chemical composition of PM2.5 in Guangzhou. In April 2007, 28 PM2.5 samples were collected daily at the monitoring station of the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences （SCIES）, in urban Guangzhou. Water-soluble ionic species （CI^-, NO3^-, SO4^2-, NH4^＋, K^＋, Na^＋, Ca^2＋, and Mg^2＋） and carbonaceous contents （OC and EC） of the PM2.5 samples were determined to characterize their impact on visibility impairment. The results showed that sulfate was the dominant species that affected both light scattering and visibility. The average percentage contributions of the visibility-degrading species to light scattering coefficient were 40% for sulfate, 16% for nitrate, 22% for organics, and 22% for elemental carbon. Because of its foremost effect on visibility, sulfate reduction in PM2.5 would effectively improve the visibility of Guangzhou.

Pollution characteristics of organic and elemental carbon in PM_(2.5) in Xiamen,China

Xiamen, located on the southeastern coastal line of China, is undergoing rapid urbanization and industrialization, so its air quality has a trend of degradation. However, studies on level, temporal and spatial changes of fine particles （PM2.5） and their carbonaceous fractions are scarce. In this article, abundance, sources, seasonal and spatial variations, distribution of organic carbon （OC） and elemental carbon （EC） in PM2.5, were studied at suburban, urban and industrial sites in Xiamen during four season-representative months in 2009-2010. PM2.5 samples were collected with middle volume sampler and were analyzed for OC and EC with thermal optical transmittance （TOT） method. Results showed that the annual average PM2.5 concentrations were 63.88-74.80 Ixg/m3 at three sites. While OC and EC concentrations were in the range of 15.81-19.73 [xg/m3 and 2.74-3.49 ~tg/m3, respectively, and clearly presented the summer minima and winter maxima in this study. The carbonaceous aerosol accounted for 42.8%-47.3% of the mass of PMzs. The annual average of secondary organic carbon （SOC） concentrations in Xiamen were 9.23-11.36 ~g/m3, accounting for approximately 56% of OC. Strong correlations between OC and EC was found in spring （R2 = 0.50） and autumn （R2 = 0.73）, suggesting that there were similar emission and transport processes for carbonaceous aerosols in these two seasons, while weak correlations were found in summer （R2 = 0.33） and winter （R2 = 0.41）. The OCI＇EC ratios in PM2.5 varied from 2.1 to 8.7 with an annual average of 5.7, indicating that vehicle exhaust, coal smoke and biomass burning were main source apportionments of carbonaceous fractions in Xiamen.

Impact of transport of fine and ultrafine particles from open biomass burning on air quality during 2019 Bangkok haze episode

Transboundary and domestic aerosol transport during 2018–2019 affecting Bangkok air quality has been investigated.Physicochemical characteristics of size-segregated ambient particles down to nano-particles collected during 2017 non-haze and 2018–2019 haze periods were analyzed.The average PM2.5 concentrations at KU and KMUTNB sites in Bangkok,Thailand during the haze periods were about 4 times higher than in non-haze periods.The highest average organic carbon and elemental carbon concentrations were 4.6±2.1μg/m3 and 1.0±0.4μg/m3,respectively,in PM0.5–1.0 range at KU site.The values of OC/EC and charEC/soot-EC ratios in accumulation mode particles suggested the significant influence of biomass burning,while the nuclei and coarse mode particles were from mixed sources.PAH concentrations during 2018–2019 haze period at KU and KMUTNB were 3.4±0.9 ng/m3 and 1.8±0.2 ng/m3,respectively.The PAH diagnostic ratio of PM2.5 also suggested the main contributions were from biomass combustion.This is supported by the 48-hrs backward trajectory simulation.The higher PM2.5 concentrations during 2018–2019 haze period are also associated with the meteorological conditions that induce thermal inversions and weak winds in the morning and evening.Average values of benzo(a)pyrene toxic equivalency quotient during haze period were about 3–6 times higher than during non-haze period.This should raise a concern of potential human health risk in Bangkok and vicinity exposing to fine and ultrafine particulate matters in addition to regular exposure to traffic emission.