AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Real-time Measurements of PM2.5, Black Carbon and Brown Carbon In Residential Woodsmoke Plumes
BO YANG, Aleshka Carrion-Matta, Geng Chen, Jiajun Gu, George Allen, James Schwab, H. Dirk Felton, K. Max Zhang, Cornell University
Abstract Number: 597 Working Group: Carbonaceous Aerosols in the Atmosphere
Abstract Due to relatively low stack height and low exhaust temperature, emissions from residential wood burning for heating may cause significant near-source air quality impacts. To enhance our understanding of the impacts, we conducted field measurements of residential woodsmoke plumes in an urban setting using portable real-time instruments and mobile monitoring techniques during the 2015-2016 winter season. The instruments we deployed include a 7-wavelength Aethalometer for black carbon and brown carbon, multiple nephelometers for PM2.5, and two CO2 sensors. The time resolution of each instrument was set to 1 second to capture the dynamical plume behaviors, and raw data were then processed for further analysis. Results from AE33 showed drastically different responses of woodsmoke plumes to different wavelengths, with 370 nm being the most sensitive. Real-time PM2.5 signals were well synchronized with Aethalometer Delta-C (BC370 nm - BC880 nm) values, indicating that most of the PM mass falls into the detection range of the nephelometers, and confirming that Delta-C is a good indicator of woodsmoke particles. The real-time data revealed a wide range of Delta-C/PM2.5 ratios, but Delta-C and PM2.5 values exhibited strong correlations when the combustion conditions appeared to be consistent over a period of time. Our results suggest that Delta-C can be potentially used to provide quantitative estimate of levoglucosan, a commonly-used woodsmoke marker. However, further investigations are needed to derive a robust relationship.