American Association for Aerosol Research - Abstract Submission

AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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Chemical Characterization of Atmospheric Fine Aerosol Collected from Atlanta, GA, and Centreville, AL Using the Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM)

WERUKA RATTANAVARAHA, Sri Hapsari Budisulistiorini, Philip Croteau, Karsten Baumann, Eric Edgerton, Manjula Canagaratna, John Jayne, Douglas Worsnop, Stephanie Shaw, Jason Surratt, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

     Abstract Number: 311
     Working Group: Source Apportionment

Abstract
Atmospheric fine aerosol (PM$_(2.5)) is associated with adverse effects on human health as well as on air quality and climate. In order to understand the formation, sources and behavior of PM$_(2.5), long-term continuous chemical characterization is essential, especially to aid in the development of effective control strategies. In this study, the Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) was deployed at the Jefferson Street (JST) site in Atlanta, GA for 1 year (February 08$^(th), 2014 – February 08$^(th), 2015) and at the Centreville, AL (CTR) site for 1 year starting on March 16$^(th), 2015. The JST and CTR sites are part of the Southeastern Aerosol Research and Characterization (SEARCH) network and are equipped with a suite of real-time instruments making continuous collocated gas, particle, and meteorological measurements. In addition to the continuous SEARCH measurements, high-volume filter samplers were periodically operated to collect PM$_(2.5) for subsequent off-line chemical analyses of organic aerosol constituents to help identify organic aerosol sources in the ACSM data. The datasets were analyzed separately by season. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to the organic mass spectral data provided by the ACSM in order to resolve potential sources. Preliminary results indicate that organic constituents dominate the mass fraction of fine particulate matter in all seasons. Application of PMF yielded at least six potential factors: hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA), low-volatility oxygenated organic aerosol (LV-OOA), semi-volatile oxygenated organic aerosol (SV-OOA), biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA), isoprene-epoxydiol organic aerosol (IEPOX-OA), and 91Fac. The preliminary PMF results will be interpreted in the context of the JST and CTR collocated measurements and OA tracers measured from the filter samples using off-line gas and liquid chromatographic methods interfaced to mass spectrometry. In addition, the results will be interpreted in terms of urban (local) versus rural (regional) sources of organic aerosol in the southeastern U.S.