On-line Measurement of Water-Soluble Ions in Ambient Particles

Combining the system of rapid collection of ambient particles and ion chromatography, the system of rapid collection of fine particles and ion chromatography （RCFP-IC） was established to automatically analyze on-line the concentrations of water-soluble ions in ambient particles. Here, the general scheme of RCFP-IC is described and its basic performance is tested. The detection limit of RCFP-IC for SO4^2-, NO3^-, NO2^-, Cl^- and F- is below 0.3μg m^-3. The collection efficiency of RCFP-IC increases rapidly with increasing sized particles. For particles larger than 300 nm, the collection efficiency approaches 100%. The precision of RCFP-IC is more than 90% over 28 repetitions. The response of RCFP-IC is very sensitive and no obvious cross-pollution is found during measurement. A comparison of RCFP-IC with an integrated filter measurement indicates that the measurement of RCFP-IC is comparable in both laboratory experiments and field observations. The results of the field experiment prove that RCFP-IC is an effective on-line monitoring system and is helpful in source apportionment and pollution episode monitoring.

Concentrations,sources,and influential factors of water-soluble ions of atmospheric particles in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes,a world heritage site in China

Atmospheric particle pollution is one of the major factors leading to degradation of ancient wall paintings,particularly heritage sites in arid and semi-arid regions.However,current systematic research on the changes,sources,and influential factors of atmospheric particulate matter and its water-soluble ion concentrations is not sufficient.Thus,the major water-soluble ion concentrations,sources,and influential factors of atmospheric particles PM_(2.5) and PM_(10)(particulate matter with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter≤2.5 and 10.0μm,respectively,in ambient air)were collected from Cave 16 and its ambient exterior environment in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes,China,between April 2015 and March 2016.Results showed that the concentrations of PM_(2.5) and PM_(10) inside and outside the cave were the highest in March 2016 and the lowest in December 2015.The higher particle concentration from March to May was related to the frequent occurrence of sand and dust events,and the lower particle concentration from June to September was associated with good diffusion conditions,increased precipitation,and an established cave shelterbelt.The concentration of particulate matter inside the cave was affected by the concentration of particles in the air outside the cave.Ca2+,NH+4,Na+,Cl-,and SO2-4were the main components of the total ions of PM_(2.5) and PM_(10) both inside and outside the cave.The total ions inside the cave were frequently affected by the disturbance of tourists'activities during the peak tourist season from May to August.Under the influence of dust,the total concentrations of Cl-,SO2-4,Na+,NH+4,and Ca2+in particles of different sizes inside and outside the cave increased,and the concentrations of Cl-,SO2-4,Na+,and Ca2+decreased during precipitation period.Backward air mass trajectory analysis suggested that the pollutants were mainly from Xinjiang,China.The pollutant sources of air particulates are straw burning,secondary pollution sources,soil dust,dry spring rivers,and tourist activities.

Diurnal variations of water-soluble ions in PM_(2.5)in Shanghai

Thirty-six daily time interval PM2.5 samples were collected in different seasonal dates in urban Shanghai, and the concentrations of four anions （Cl- , NO3-, SO4^2-, C2O4^2-） and five cations （NH＋, Na＋, K＋, Ca2＋, Mg2＋） were analyzed with ion chromatography. Sulfate, nitrate and ammonium were found to be the dominant species, accounting for about 80% of the total ions. The daily nitrate to sulfate mass ratio ranged from 0.31 to 0.82, indicating that coal combustion was still the main pollution source in Shanghai. The equivalent ratio of ammonium to stun of nitrate and sulfate showed fixed diurnal variation pattern in all the sampling days with higher values in the nighttime, suggesting that fine particles in the night were more neutralized. The oxalate to sulfate ratio was lower in the winter sampling days than that in hotter summer and autumn sampling days. Oxalate was significantly correlated with sulfate in winter sampling days, but not in the summer and autumn, suggesting that the formation mechanism of oxalate and sulfate was similar in winter, however different in hot days.

Real-Time Observation on Water-Soluble Ions of PM_(2.5)in Beijing under the Influences of Different Air Masses in Summer

To further understand the variations of water-soluble ions in PM2.5 in Beijing,the authors observed their concentrations continuously and in high temporal resolution by the system for rapid collection of fine particles and ion chromatography(RCFP-IC) during 12–18 July 2010.These results combined with those of earlier backward trajectory research are used analyzed to determine the causes of concentration changes in water-soluble ions under the influences of two kinds of air masses in summer.The results indicate that concentrations of NO3-,SO42-,and NH4+ were influenced strongly by the continental air mass than by the marine air mass.Cl- and Na+ were not changed significantly.Because the sources of K+,Mg2+,and Ca2+ are mainly concentrated on land,their concentration levels were slightly higher under the control of continental air mass than that of the marine air mass.Variations of NO2- during the observation differed from those of other ions;its concentration was significantly higher under the influence of marine air mass.Moreover,the authors obtain the diurnal variations of eight water-soluble inorganic ions including NH4+,K+,Mg2+,Ca2+,Cl-,NO2-,NO3-,and SO42-.Diurnal variations of NH4+,NO3-,and Cl- showed single peak,which appeared before noon,while SO42- showed two peaks that appeared during rush hours.Those of Mg2+,Ca2+,and K+ showed single peak that appeared in the afternoon.That of NO2- showed with a peak appearing at sunrise and a valley appearing at sunset.

Size distributions of aerosol and water-soluble ions in Nanjing during a crop residual burning event

To investigate the impact on urban air pollution by crop residual burning outside Nanjing, aerosol concentration, pollution gas concentration, mass concentration, and water-soluble ion size distribution were observed during one event of November 4-9, 2010. Results show that the size distribution of aerosol concentration is bimodal on pollution days and normal days, with peak values at 60- 70 and 200-300 nm, respectively. Aerosol concentration is 104 cm-3.nm-1 on pollution days. The peak value of spectrum distribution of aerosol concentration on pollution days is 1.5-3.3 times higher than that on a normal day. Crop residual burning has a great impact on the concentration of fine particles. Diurnal variation of aerosol concentration is trimodal on pollution days and normal days, with peak values at 03：00, 09：00 and 19：00 local standard time. The first peak is impacted by meteorological elements, while the second and third peaks are due to human activities, such as rush hour traffic. Crop residual burning has the greatest impact on SO2 concentration, followed by NO2, 03 is hardly affected. The impact of crop residual burning on fine particles （〈 2.1 μm） is larger than on coarse particles （〉 2.1 μm）, thus ion concentration in fine particles is higher than that in coarse particles. Crop residual burning leads to similar increase in all ion components, thus it has a small impact on the water-soluble ions order. Crop residual burning has a strong impact on the size distribution of K^＋, Cl^-, Na^＋, and F- and has a weak impact on the size distributions of NH4^＋, Ca^2＋, NO3^- and SO4^2-.

Insights into measurements of water-soluble ions in PM_(2.5)and their gaseous precursors in Beijing

To better understand the characteristics and transformation mechanisms of secondary inorganic aerosols,hourly mass concentrations of water-soluble inorganic ions(WSIIs)in PM_(2.5)and their gaseous precursors were measured online from 2016 to 2018 at an urban site in Beijing.Seasonal and diurnal variations in water-soluble ions and gaseous precursors were discussed and their gas-particle conversion and partitioning were also examined,some related parameters were characterized.The(TNH_(3))Rich was also defined to describe the variations of the excess NH_(3)in different seasons.In addition,a sensitivity test was carried out by using ISORROPIA II to outline the driving factors of gas-particle partitioning.In Beijing,the relative contribution of nitrate to PM_(2.5)has increased markedly in recent years,especially under polluted conditions.In the four seasons,only a small portion of NO_(2)in the atmosphere was converted into total nitrate(TNO_(3)),and more than 80%of TNO_(3)occurred in the form of nitrate due to the abundant ammonia.The concentration of total ammonia(TNH_(3))was much higher than that required to neutralize acid gases,and most of the TNH_(3)occurred as gaseous NH_(3).The nitrous acid(HONO)concentration was highly correlated with NH_(3)concentration and had increased significantly in Beijing compared with previous studies.The total chloride(TCl)was the highest in winter,andε(Cl^(-))was more sensitive to variations in the ambient temperature(T)and relative humidity(RH)thanε(NO_(3)^(-)).

Application of ion chromatography to the determination of water-soluble inorganic and organic ions in atmospheric aerosols

A simple, sensitive and convenient ion chromatography(IC) method was established for the simultaneous determination of twelve water-soluble inorganic anions(F -, Cl -, NO - 2, NO - 3, SO 2- 3, SO 2- 4, PO 3- 4), and fifteen water-soluble organic ions(formate, acetate, MSA, oxalate, malonate, succinate, phthalates, etc.) in atmospheric aerosols. The linear concentrations ranged from 0.005 μg/m 3 to 500 μg/m 3(r = 0.999—0.9999). The relative standard deviation(RSD) were 0.43%—2.00% and the detection limits were from 2.7 ng/m 3 to 88 ng/m 3. The proposed method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of those inorganic ions and organic ions in PM 2.5 of Beijing.

Seasonal variations and size distributions of water-soluble ions in atmospheric aerosols in Beijing, 2012

The characteristics of water-soluble ions in airborne particulate matter in Beijing were investigated using ion chromatography. The results showed that the total concentrations of ions were 83.7 ± 48.9 μg/m3 in spring, 54.0 ± 17.0 μg/m3 in summer, 54.1 ± 42.9 μg/m3 in autumn, and 88.8 ± 47.7 μg/m3 in winter, respectively. Furthermore, out of all the ions, NO3-,SO42-and NH4＋accounted for 81.2% in spring, 78.5% in summer, 74.6% in autumn, and 76.3%in winter. Mg2＋and Ca2＋were mainly associated with coarse particles, with a peak that ranged from 5.8 to 9.0 μm. Na＋, NH4＋and Cl-had a multi-mode distribution with peaks that ranged from 0.43 to 1.1 μm and 4.7 to 9.0 μm. K＋, NO3-, and SO42-were mainly associated with fine particles, with a peak that ranged from 0.65 to 2.1 μm. The concentrations of Na＋, K＋,Mg2＋, Ca2＋, NH4＋, Cl-, NO3-and SO42-were 2.69, 2.32, 1.01, 4.84, 16.9, 11.8, 42.0, and 44.1 μg/m3 in particulate matter（PM） on foggy days, respectively, which were 1.4 to 7.3 times higher than those on clear days. The concentrations of these ions were 2.40, 1.66, 0.92, 4.95, 17.5,7.00, 32.6, and 34.7 μg/m3 in PM on hazy days, respectively, which were 1.2–5.7 times higher than those on clear days.

Size-resolved aerosol water-soluble ions at a regional background station of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, North China

The characteristics of water-soluble ions in size-resolved particulate matter were investigated usingion chromatography at Shangdianzi, a regional background station of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. Seasonal total concentrations of ions （Na＋, Mg2＋, IC, Ca2＋, NH＋4, Cl-, SO2-4 and NO-3） were 75.5 ± 52.9 μg/m3 in spring, 26.5 ± 12.3 Bg/m3 in summer, 22.7 ± 20.4 μg/m3 in autumn, and 31.1 ± 23.9 μg/m3 in winter, respectively. The secondary ions （NO3, SO2-4 and NH＋4）, mainly associated with fine particles, accounted for 84.2% in spring, 82.1% in summer, 81.5% in autumn and 76.3% in winter of all ions. Strong correlations were found between NH＋4 and SO2-4 （r = 0.95, p 〈 0.01） as well as NH＋4 and NO-3 （r = 0.90, p 〈 0.01） in fine particles; while in coarse particles, correlations between Mg2＋ and NO-3 （r = 0.80, p 〈 0.01）, and Ca2＋ and NO2＋ （r = 0.85, p 〈 0.01） were found. The concentrations of Na＋, IC, Mg2＋, Ca2＋, NH＋4, Cl-, NO3, and SC2-4 were 2.02, 0.81, 0.36, 1.65, 9.58, 4.01, 18.9, and 18.4 μg/m3 in particulate matter from southeast-derived air masses, which were typically 1.58-3.37 times higher than in northwest trajectories. Thus, concentrations of water-soluble ions at this background station were heavily influenced by regional transport of serious pollution derived from biomass burning, coal combustion, industrial and vehicle exhaust emissions from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.

Emission of organic carbon, elemental carbon and water-soluble ions from crop straw burning under flaming and smoldering conditions

Emissions from major agricultural residues were measured using a self-designed combustion system. Emission factors （EFs） of organic carbon （OC）, elemental carbon （EC）, and water-soluble ions （WSIs） （K＋, NH4＋, Na＋, Mg2＋, Ca2＋, Cl-, NO3-, SO42–） in smoke from wheat and rice straw were measured under flaming and smoldering conditions. The OC1/TC （total carbon） was highest （45.8% flaming, 57.7% smoldering） among carbon fractions. The mean EFs for OC （EFOC） and EC （EFEC） were 9.2 ± 3.9 and 2.2 ± 0.7 g/kg for wheat straw and 6.4 ± 1.9 and 1.1 ± 0.3 g/kg for rice straw under flaming conditions, while they were 40.8 ± 5.6 and 5.8 ± 1.0 g/kg and 37.6 ± 6.3 and 5.0 ± 1.4 g/kg under smoldering conditions, respectively. Higher EC ratios were observed in particulate matter （PM） mass under flaming conditions. The OC and EC for the two combustion patterns were significantly correlated （p 〈 0.01, R = 0.95 for wheat straw; p 〈 0.01, R = 0.97 for rice straw）, and a higher positive correlation between OC3 and EC was observed under both combustion conditions. WSIs emitted from flaming smoke were dominated by Cl- and K＋, which contributed 3.4% and 2.4% of the PM mass for rice straw and 2.2% and 1.0% for wheat straw, respectively. The EFs of Cl- and K＋ were 0.73 ± 0.16 and 0.51 ± 0.14 g/kg for wheat straw and 0.25 ± 0.15 and 0.12 ± 0.05 g/kg for rice straw under flaming conditions, while they were 0.42 ± 0.28 and 0.12 ± 0.06 g/kg and 0.30 ± 0.27 and 0.05 ± 0.03 g/kg under smoldering conditions, respectively. Na＋, Mg2＋, and NH4＋ were vital components in PM, comprising from 0.8% （smoldering） to 3.1% （flaming） of the mass. Strong correlations of Cl- with K＋, NH4＋, and Na＋ ions were observed in rice straw and the calculated diagnostic ratios of OC/EC, K＋/Na＋ and Cl-/Na＋ could be useful to distinguishing crop straw burning from other sources of atmospheric pollution.

Characteristics of size distributions and sources of water-soluble ions in Lhasa during monsoon and non-monsoon seasons

To understand the physical and chemical characteristics, particle size distribution and sources of size-separated aerosols in Lhasa, which is located on the Tibetan Plateau(TP), six sizes of aerosol samples were collected in Lhasa in 2014. Ca^(2+), NH_4^+, NO_3^-,SO_4^(2-)and Cl-were the dominant ions. The ratio of cation equivalents(CE) to anion equivalents(AE) for each particle size segment indicated that the atmospheric aerosols in Lhasa were alkaline. SO_4^(2-)and NO_3^-could be neutralized by Ca^(2+), but could not be neutralized by NH_4^+, according to the [NH_4^+]/[NO_3^-+ SO_4^(2-)] and [Ca^(2+)]/[NO_3^-+ SO_4^(2-)] ratios. Mobile sources were dominant in PM_(0.95-1.5),PM_(1.5-3) and PM_(3-7.2), while stationary sources were dominant in the other three size fractions according to the [NO_3^-]/[SO_4^(2-)] ratios. The particle size distribution of all watersoluble ions during monsoon and non-monsoon periods was characterized by a bimodal distribution due to the different sources and formation mechanisms, and it was revealed that different ions had different sources in different seasons and different particle size segments by combining particle size distribution with correlation analysis. Source analysis of aerosols in Lhasa was performed using the Principal component analysis(PCA) for the first time, which revealed that combustion sources, motor vehicle exhaust, photochemical reaction sources and various types of dust were the main sources of Lhasa aerosols.Furthermore, Lhasa's air quality was also affected by long-distance transmission, expressed as pollutants from South Asia and West Asia, which were transmitted to Lhasa according to backward trajectory analysis.

Preparation of Ultrafine Water-soluble Polymers Nanofiber Mats via Electrospinning

A series of water-soluble polymers such as poly（ethylene oxide）（PEO）, polyacrylamide（PAM） and poly（vinyl pyrrilidone）（PVP） was successfully prepared via the electrospinning of their aqueous solutions without the use of a surfactant. The effects of solution properties on the electrospinning of PEO, PAM and PVP solutions were investigated. The viscosity of the solution, charge density carried by the jet, and the surface tension of the solution are the key factors that influence the morphology and diameter size of the fibers. The viscosity of the solution was measured on a modular compact rheometer. The morphology and the diameter size distribution of the fibers were observed under an environmental scanning electron microscope（ESEM）. The results show that the diameters of the nanofibers electro spun from the solutions of these water soluble polymers were uniform and less than 300 nm.

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.

Study on Dyeing Performance of Cationic Water-soluble Sulphur Black on Silk

A novel polyquaternaryammonium cationic sulphur black dye was synthesized and its dyeing behavior on silk was studied. The dye exhibited excellent dyeing fixation of up to 98.2 %, as well as excellent dyeing fastness on silk.

Preparation of fructone catalyzed by water-soluble Brφnsted acid ionic liquids

Fructone （2-methyl-2-ethylacetoacetate-1, 3-dioxolane）, a flavouring material, has been synthesized from ethyl acetoacetate and glycol using five water-soluble Brφnsted acid ionic liquids as catalysts for the first time. The used Brφnsted acid ionic liquids include [Hmim]Tfa, [Hmim]Tsa, [Hmim]BF4, [Bmim]HSO4, [Bmim]H2P04, and [Hmim]BF4 showed the highest catalytic activity for the preparation of fructone. After reaction, the product could be isolated from the reaction system automatically, and the ionic liquid could be directly reused without dehydration.

Inquiry of Water-Soluble Polysaccharide Extraction Conditions from Grapefruit Skin

Water-soluble polysaccharide was isolated from grapefruit with the method of water-dissolving and ethanol-precipitating. By single factor test and orthogonal experimental method, the extraction conditions of the water-soluble polysaccharide were investigated, which contained liquid-solid ratio, temperature, time and pH. The results showed that pH was the most important factor of polysaccharide extraction, followed by temperature. The optimized extraction technology conditions were obtained. The liquid-solid ratio was 1:40, temperature was 90?C, time was 2.0 h, and pH was 2. The highest extraction rate of crude polysaccharide was 8.30%.

Designandconstructionof athree-dimensionalelectrodewith biomass-derived carbon current collector andwater-soluble binder for high-sulfur-loading lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries attract lots of attention due to their high specific capacity,low cost,and environmental friendliness.However,the low sulfur utilization and short cycle life extremely hinder their application.Herein,we design and fabricate a three-dimensional electrode by a simple filtration method to achieve a high-sulfur loading.Biomass porous carbon is employed as a current collector,which not only enhances the electronic transport but also effectively limits the volume expansion of the active material.Meanwhile,an optimized carboxymethyl cellulose binder is chosen.The chemical bonding restricts the shuttle effect,leading to improved electrochemical performance.Under the ultrahigh sulfur load of 28mg/cm2,the high capacity of 18mAh/cm2 is still maintained,and stable cycling performance is obtained.This study demonstrates a viable strategy to develop promising lithium-sulfur batteries with a three-dimensional electrode,which promotes sulfur loading and electrochemical performance.

Influence of extraction voltage on electron and ion behavior characteristics

The characteristics of the extracted ion current have a significant impact on the design and testing of ion source performance.In this paper,a 2D in space and 3D in velocity space particle in cell(2D3V PIC)method is utilized to simulate plasma motion and ion extraction characteristics under various initial plasma velocity distributions and extraction voltages in a Cartesian coordinate system.The plasma density is of the order of 10^(15)m^(-3)-10^(16)m^(-3)and the extraction voltage is of the order of 100 V-1000 V.The study investigates the impact of various extraction voltages on the velocity and density distributions of electrons and positive ions,and analyzes the influence of different initial plasma velocity distributions on the extraction current.The simulation results reveal that the main reason for the variation of extraction current is the spacecharge force formed by the relative aggregation of positive and negative net charges.This lays the foundation for a deeper understanding of extraction beam characteristics.

Bio-cementation for tidal erosion resistance improvement of foreshore slopes based on microbially induced magnesium and calcium precipitation

In most coastal and estuarine areas,tides easily cause surface erosion and even slope failure,resulting in severe land losses,deterioration of coastal infrastructure,and increased floods.The bio-cementation technique has been previously demonstrated to effectively improve the erosion resistance of slopes.Seawater contains magnesium ions(Mg^(2+))with a higher concentration than calcium ions(Ca^(2+));therefore,Mg^(2+)and Ca^(2+)were used together for bio-cementation in this study at various Mg^(2+)/Ca^(2+)ratios as the microbially induced magnesium and calcium precipitation(MIMCP)treatment.Slope angles,surface strengths,precipitation contents,major phases,and microscopic characteristics of precipitation were used to evaluate the treatment effects.Results showed that the MIMCP treatment markedly enhanced the erosion resistance of slopes.Decreased Mg^(2+)/Ca^(2+)ratios resulted in a smaller change in angles and fewer soil losses,especially the Mg^(2+)concentration below 0.2 M.The decreased Mg^(2+)/Ca^(2+)ratio achieved increased precipitation contents,which contributed to better erosion resistance and higher surface strengths.Additionally,the production of aragonite would benefit from elevated Mg^(2+)concentrations and a higher Ca^(2+)concentration led to more nesquehonite in magnesium precipitation crystals.The slopes with an initial angle of 53°had worse erosion resistance than the slopes with an initial angle of 35°,but the Mg^(2+)/Ca^(2+)ratios of 0.2:0.8,0.1:0.9,and 0:1.0 were effective for both slope stabilization and erosion mitigation to a great extent.The results are of great significance for the application of MIMCP to improve erosion resistance of foreshore slopes and the MIMCP technique has promising application potential in marine engineering.

Experimental results of a magnetic field modification to the radio frequency driver of a negative ion source

A magnetic field produced by a current flowing through the plasma grid(PG) is one of the solutions to reduce the collisional loss of negative ions in a negative ion source, which reduces the electron temperature in front of the PG. However, the magnetic field diffused into the driver has some influence on the plasma outflowing. In order to investigate the effect of changing this magnetic field on the outflowing of plasma from the driver, a circular ring(absorber) of high permeability iron has been introduced at the driver exit, which can reduce the magnetic field around it and improve plasma outflowing. With the application of the absorber, the electron density is increased by about 35%, and the extraction current measured from the extraction grid is increased from 1.02 A to 1.29 A. The results of the extraction experiment with cesium injection show that both the extraction grid(EG) current and H-current are increased when the absorber is introduced.