Understanding the Industrial Aerosol Contribution: Measurements and Modeling

BRIANNA MATTHEWS, Stephen Noble, Savannah River National Laboratory

     Abstract Number: 22
     Working Group: Source Apportionment

Abstract
Most environmental pollutants are emitted by anthropogenic activities including industrial processes. To understand the impact from industrial aerosol on climate and human health, industrial aerosol needs to be better characterized. In this study, particles were measured as a proxy for aerosol which includes both particles and gases. Particle concentration and size distribution were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) approximately 4.5 km from primary industrial areas at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, SC. The SMPS data were divided into two groups depending on the wind direction measured onsite to categorize transport from the industrial area or from elsewhere. Industrial contributions were found to have a higher concentration of particles with sizes less than 200 nm, 844 cm^-3, in comparison to non-industrial attributed particles, 734 cm^-3. For sizes larger than 200 nm industrial and non-industrial particles have a similar concentration, 86 cm^-3 and 97 cm^-3, with non-industrial concentrations being slightly larger. The difference of 110 cm^-3 in sizes smaller than 200 nm was attributed to emissions from the industrial areas. Atmospheric dispersion modeling confirmed that particles released at the industrial areas reached the sampling location when the wind direction was favorable for transport from the industrial areas. The industrial particles measured in this study increased concentrations of smaller sized particles that have important implications for climatological impacts including cloud formation and precipitation.