10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Characteristics of Nuclei Mode Atmospheric Aerosol Particles during a Large Scale Fire Event
MANISH JOSHI, Mariam , Pallavi Khandare, Arshad Khan, B.K. Sapra, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai
Abstract Number: 1200 Working Group: Remote/Regional Atmospheric Aerosol
Abstract Emission of trace gases and aerosol particles from large scale fires modify atmospheric aerosol characteristics. Such fires include biomass burning, forest fires, volcanic eruptions and accidental fires etc. (Chen et al. 2017; Jaffe and Wigder 2012). Large scale fires have potential to affect aerosol properties and consequently visibility, health and climate. This study focuses on measurements and interpreting modifications in number concentration and number size distribution in the size range 5-350 nm (measured by nano DMA/SMPS) during a large scale fire event (which took place during March 20-27, 2016 at a waste dumping ground in Mumbai, India). Sampling duration was segregated into case and control days and these characteristics were compared for interpreting effect of emissions due to fire on background aerosol characteristics, if any. Temporal evolution of integral number concentration showed several peaks, most of which coincide with simultaneous dip in geometric mean diameter. Data instances when the total number concentration was found to be more than 105 per cm3 were≈ 1.8 % and 0.003% (of all data points) for case and control days, respectively. Similarly≈ 6.5 % and 5.3% times geometric mean decreased lesser than 20 nm for case and control days, respectively. On the days of fire event, formation of nuclei mode particles was noted during noon times. Size distributions for case days were easily differentiated from those of control days even if averaging was done for entire day. Further hourly averaged analysis revealed significant departure from background conditions during noon times only.
References: [1] Chen, J., et al. (2017). A review of biomass burning: Emissions and impacts on air quality, health and climate in China, Science of the Total Environment, 579, pp. 1000–1034. [2] Jaffe, D.A. and Wigder, N.L. (2012). Ozone production from wildfires: a critical review, Atmos. Environ., 51, pp.1–10.