A Novel Approach for Determination of Carbonaceous Aerosols by Using Aerosol Magee Scientific Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System (CASS) and Software Carbonaceous Aerosol Analysis Tool (CAAT)

KLEMEN KUNSTELJ, Matic Ivančič, Asta Gregorič, Gašper Lavrič, Bálint Alföldy, Irena Ježek, Martin Rigler, Aerosol d.o.o.

     Abstract Number: 287
     Working Group: Exhibitor and Instrument Application Showcase

Abstract
Carbonaceous aerosols (CA) are usually the most significant contributor to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) impacting climate change and public health. CA include an organic fraction, organic aerosol (OA), and a refractory, strongly light-absorbing fraction referred to as black carbon (BC). The mass of carbon atoms in CA and OA is called total carbon (TC) and organic carbon (OC), respectively. The BC is exclusively emitted from incomplete combustion (fossil fuel BCff, biomass burning BCbb), thus having only a primary origin. OA's chemical composition is highly diverse and composed of many complex molecular structures. OA is directly emitted to the atmosphere in particulate form as primary organic aerosols (POA) by combustion and from biogenic sources, or it can have a secondary origin (SOA).

The combination of Total Carbon Analyzer TCA08 and the Aethalometer® model AE33 (known as CASS) provides a novel approach for measuring different components of carbonaceous aerosols in near-real-time with high-time resolution.

The CAAT abbreviation stands for Carbonaceous Aerosol Analysis Tool and is a software tool for analyzing data from the AE33, the TCA08, and CASS instrument. Its main progression tasks are as follows: Import, Validation and Analysis procedures, such as diurnal profiles, Time averages, Absorption coefficient, Angstrom exponent, Attenuation, Source Apportionment, concentration determination of some most relevant carbonaceous aerosol species (Total Carbon, Elemental Carbon, Organic Carbon, Black and Brown Carbon).

With this work, we want to show capabilities of the newly developed instrument CASS and the Analytical software to indicate and forecast particular trends and seasonal variations of concentrations of the specific carbonaceous aerosols.