MORPHOLOGY OF BLACK CARBON AEROSOLS AND UBIQUITY OF 50-NANOMETER BLACK CARBON AEROSOLS IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Different-sized aerosols were collected by an Andersen air sampler to observe the detailed morphology of the black carbon （BC） aerosols which were separated chemically from the other accompanying aerosols, using a Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with an Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer （SEM-EDX）. The results indicate that most BC aerosols are spherical particles of about 50 nm in diameter and with a homogeneous surface. Results also show that these particles aggregate with other aerosols or with themselves to form larger agglomerates in the micrometer range. The shape of these 50-nm BC spherical particles was found to be very similar to that of BC particles released from petroleum-powered vehicular internal combustion engines. These spherical BC particles were shown to be different from the previously reported fullerenes found using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry （MALDI-TOF-MS）.     

Vapor-particle partitioning of hydrocarbons in Western Mediterranean urban and marine atmospheres

An analytical procedure is described for a comprehensive determination of the composition of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, based on: (a) aerosol filtration and subsequent adsorption of the vapor phase onto active charcoal and polyurethane foam; (b) GPC and HPLC fractionation of the extracts, and (c) analysis of the fractions by GC-MS under EI and NICI modes. Special emphasis is placed onn-alkanes, PAHs and their oxygenated derivatives.The characterization of samples collected in a coastal urban area (Barcelona city), and far away over the Western Mediterranean, at sea level and at 1100 m of altitude, revealed significant changes in the aerosol composition, mainly attributed to initial vapor-particle partitioning processes, influenced by ambient temperature variations, and to others taking place during long-range atmospheric transport, related with the different compound photoreactivities and with an unexplained source-decoupling phenomenon.     

Extraction of environmental information from large aerosol data sets through combined application of cluster and factor analyses

To reveal useful environmental information which is contained in large analytical data sets, an approach, based on the successive application of hierarchical cluster analysis and factor analysis, is proposed. Estimation criteria to determine the most suitable number of clusters and/or factors, are discussed and the interpretation of the cluster and factor analyses results is performed using visual techniques. The data sets were obtained by scanning electron microscope-energy-dispersive X-ray analysis of individual North Sea aerosol particles.     

Determination of trace elements in ambient aerosol samples

A microwave-assisted digestion procedure using HNO₃, HF, and H₂O₂ has been developed for analysis of elements in ambient particulate matter (PM). The samples are collected on cellulose filters and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The ICP-MS is calibrated with external standards, and recovery of analytes is tested with NIST SRM 1648 Urban Dust. This method has been used to quantify the airborne concentrations of a large number of elements, including Ag, As, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sb, Sr, Ti, Tl, V, and Zn. For the majority of these elements, recovery of the NIST SRM is within 15% of the certified values.     

Determination Of Formaldehyde And Acetaldehyde Associated To Atmospheric Aerosols By HPLC

Abstract

A rapid new analytical protocol was developed for the determination of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde associated to atmospheric particulate matter, at ng/m³ levels. The aerosols were collected on glass fiber filters (8″×10″) at face velocities ranging from 15 m/min to 23 m/min. Aliquots of 15.4 cm² were sonicated, for 20 min, with 5.0 mL of 0,01% 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), 1 % phosphoric acid. The liquid phase was then filtered and the separation and quantification of the corresponding 2,4-dinitrophenylhidrazone (DNPHo) derivatives carried out by reverse phase HPLC. Acetonitrile:water (57:43, v/v) as mobile phase at 1.0 mL/min and absorbance detection at 350 nm and 365 nm for, respectively, formaldehyde-DNPHo (0.04 AUFS) and acetaldehyde-DNPHo (0.01 AUFS) were used. The precision for four different aliquots, from a 8″×10″ glass fiber filter, were under 0.04% for formaldehyde and 14.16 % for acetaldehyde. In Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were determined, respectively, in the range of 6.8 ng/m³ to 27.3 ng/m³ and 9.1 ng/m³ to 54.6 ng/m³.     

Application of the Combustion Method in a Closed Flask to the Lead Determination in Atmospheric Aerosols

Abstract

The destruction of the filter for metal determination in atmospheric aerosols is an important step in the analysis. Nowadays the decomposition of this kind of sample has not been completely solved, so it is interesting to study new methods for filter sample attack. In the present work the application of the combustion method in a closed flask for mixed cellulose esters filter decomposition for lead determination is proposed. For this purpose optimum operating conditions as stopper flask design, sample size, flask volume, shaking time and volume and concentration of absorbing solution are established, and accuracy and precision of the proposed method using AAS for the measurements is given. The results obtained by the closed flask combustion are compared with those found by wet attack with HNO₃. The method proposed is rapid, has low reagent contamination and no loss of lead by volatilization or by amalgamation occurs. This method shows an accuracy and a precision in good agreement with the standard method.     

Characterization of size‐segregated aerosols using ToF‐SIMS imaging and depth profiling

Size‐segregated particles were collected with a ten‐stage micro‐orifice uniform deposit impactor from a busy walkway in a downtown area of Hong Kong. The surface chemical compositions of aerosol samples from each stage were analyzed using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) operated in the static mode. The ToF‐SIMS spectra of particles from stage 2 (5.6–10 µm), stage 6 (0.56–1 µm), and stage 10 (0.056–0.1 µm) were compared, and the positive ion spectra from stage 2 to stage 10 were analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA). Both spectral analysis and PCA results show that the coarse‐mode particles were associated with inorganic ions, while the fine particles were associated with organic ions. PCA results further show that the particle surface compositions were size dependent. Particles from the same mode exhibited more similar surface features. Particles from stage 2 (5.6–10 µm), stage 6 (0.56–1 µm), and stage 10 (0.056–0.1 µm) were further selected as representatives of the three modes, and the chemical compositions of these modes of particles were examined using ToF‐SIMS imaging and depth profiling. The results reveal a non‐uniform chemical distribution from the outer to the inner layer of the particles. The coarse‐mode particles were shown to contain inorganic salts beneath the organics surface. The accumulation‐mode particles contained sulfate, nitrate, ammonium salts, and silicate in the regions below a thick surface layer of organic species. The nucleation‐mode particles consisted mainly of soot particles with a surface coated with sulfate, hydrocarbons, and, possibly, fullerenic carbon. The study demonstrated the capability of ToF‐SIMS depth profiling and imaging in characterizing both the surface and the region beneath the surface of aerosol particles. It also revealed the complex heterogeneity of chemical composition in size and depth distributions of atmospheric particles. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

滤膜冷凝收集-离子色谱法测定固液气溶胶中5种水溶性阴离子北大核心CSCD

水溶性离子是固、液气溶胶的重要组成部分,对于气溶胶的理化性质和空气质量具有重大影响,研究水溶性离子的含量对于大气环境的污染与防治具有深远意义。该研究建立了一种滤膜冷凝收集-离子色谱技术采集固体气溶胶和液体气溶胶并测定其中的5种水溶性阴离子(Cl^(-)、F^(-)、NO^(-)_(3)、NO2^(-)、SO4^(2-))含量的方法。首先,采用固体颗粒过滤器和冷凝收集法分别收集固体气溶胶和液体气溶胶,固体气溶胶以固体颗粒物的形式被收集在固体颗粒过滤器内,液体气溶胶以冷凝液的形式在冷阱中被收集。其次,以离子色谱法对固、液体气溶胶中的水溶性阴离子含量进行检测。在以Dionex IonPac AS11-HC-4μm作为分析柱,流速为1 mL/min,柱温为30℃,淋洗液氢氧化钾(KOH)浓度在0~40 min内由1 mol/L线性增至25 mol/L,进样量100μL的条件下,各离子在40 min内有效分离,5种阴离子在0.1~10 mg/L范围内线性关系良好(相关系数为0.9992~0.9997),检出限低(0.02~0.04 mg/L)。对样品采集条件(采样时间、采样温度和采样流量)进行了优化,结果表明,在采样时间2 h、采样温度-13℃、采样流量1.0 L/min的条件下,可获得较为满意的结果。在优化的条件下分别对实际样品的两类溶胶中的5种阴离子含量进行了检测,测得实际样品的液体气溶胶中5种阴离子含量分别为5.7402μg/m^(3)(F^(-))、1.1599μg/m^(3)(Cl^(-))、3.3233μg/m^(3)(NO^(-)_(2))、2.4861μg/m^(3)(NO^(-)_(3))和0.9745μg/m^(3)(SO^(2-)_(4)),固体气溶胶中5种阴离子含量分别为14.1037μg/m^(3)(F^(-))、5.0398μg/m^(3)(Cl^(-))、9.3052μg/m^(3)(NO^(-)_(2))、8.4528μg/m^(3)(NO^(-)_(3))和5.6314μg/m^(3)(SO^(2-)_(4))。该方法可应用于实际的大气检测中,也为其他离子的采集和分析条件的摸索提供了方法。     

大气颗粒物中总碳含量的测量不确定度评定

分析了元素分析仪测定大气颗粒物中碳质组分的测量不确定度来源,对总碳含量的测量不确定度进行了评估。测定咖啡碱标准样品中的碳含量,称样量为1 500~2 500μg时,测定结果为(49.27±0.26)%;测定大气颗粒物样品中的总碳含量,样品面积为3.14 cm2时,测定结果为(106±3)μg/cm2。     

Simulation on the Effect of Brownian Motion on Nanoparticle Trajectories in a Pulsed Microplasma Cluster Source

We describe a simulation of the nanoparticle trajectories in a pulsed cluster beam source. Clusters, formed by condensation of atomic vapor in a helium bath, and considered here as rigid spheres having a diameter of 1.5nm, were tracked during their travel inside the source cavity, an aerodynamic lens, and a cylindrical nozzle. Steady state supersonic laminar flow of helium is considered in an axi-symmetric geometry aiming to simulate, within some limitations, the conditions under which cluster formation takes place in a pulsed microplasma cluster source. In spite of the unsteady nature of the pulsed source, the time scale characterizing particle motion in the flow field is significantly smaller than the characteristic time constant for the evolution of gas pressure in the source. For this reason, a steady simulation can shed some light on the understanding of processes governing nanoparticle motion in a pulsed vaporization source. The extent to which the Brownian diffusion can affect the particle extraction from the source is investigated. Simulations have shown that the Brownian motion perturbs the clusters from the trajectories dictated by the carrier gas and increases the rate of cluster deposition on the source internal walls. However, it does not hinder the aerodynamic focalization produced by the lens even in nano-size cluster regime. This result is qualitatively confirmed by experiment.