Chemical characterisation of benzene oxidation products under high- and low-NOx conditions using chemical ionisation mass spectrometry

Aromatic hydrocarbons are a class of volatile organic compounds associated with anthropogenic activity and make up a significant fraction of urban volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Benzene is one of the most abundant species emitted from vehicles, biomass burning and industry. An iodide time-of-flight chemical ionisation mass spectrometer (ToF-CIMS) and nitrate ToF-CIMS were deployed at the Julich Plant Atmosphere Chamber as part of a series of experiments examining benzene oxidation by OH under high- and low-NOx conditions, where a range of organic oxidation products were detected. The nitrate scheme detects many oxidation products with high masses, ranging from intermediate volatile organic compounds (IVOCs) to extremely low volatile organic compounds (ELVOCs), including C-12 dimers. In comparison, very few species with C->= 6 and O-> 8 were detected with the iodide scheme, which detected many more IVOCs and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) but very few ELVOCs and low volatile organic compounds (LVOCs). A total of 132 and 195 CHOPeer reviewe

Size‐resolved particle emission factors for individual ships

In these experiments size‐resolved emission factors for particle number (EFPN) and mass (EFPM) have been determined for 734 individual ship passages for real‐world dilution. The method used is an extractive sampling method of the passing ship plumes where particle number/mass and CO2 were measured with high time resolution (1 Hz). The measurements were conducted on a small island located in the entrance to the port of Gothenburg (N57.6849, E11.838), the largest harbor in Scandinavia. This is an emission control area (ECA) and in close vicinity to populated areas. The average EFPN and EFPM were 2.55 ± 0.11 × 1016 (kg fuel)−1 and 2050 ± 110 mg (kg fuel)−1, respectively. The determined EF for ships with multiple passages showed a great reproducibility. Size‐resolved EFPN were peaking at small particle sizes ∼35 nm. Smaller particle sizes and hence less mass were observed by a gas turbine equipped ship compared to diesel engine equipped ships. On average 36 to 46% of the emitted particles by number were non‐volatile and 24% by mass (EFPN 1.16 ± 0.19 × 1016 [kg fuel]−1 and EFPM 488 ± 73 mg [kg fuel]−1, respectively). This study shows a great potential to gain large data‐sets regarding ship emission determining parameters that can improve current dispersion modeling for health assessments on local and regional scales. The global contributions of total and non‐volatile particle mass from shipping using this extensive data‐set from an ECA were estimated to be at least 0.80 Tgy−1 and 0.19 Tgy−1

Onboard Measurements of Nanoparticles from a SCR-Equipped Marine Diesel Engine

In this study nanoparticle emissions have been characterized onboard a ship with focus on number, size, and volatility. Measurements were conducted on one of the ship’s four main 12 600 kW medium–speed diesel engines which use low sulfur marine residual fuel and have a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system for NO_X abatement. The particles were measured after the SCR with an engine exhaust particle sizer spectrometer (EEPS), giving particle number and mass distributions in the size range of 5.6–560 nm. The thermal characteristics of the particles were analyzed using a volatility tandem DMA system (VTDMA). A dilution ratio of 450–520 was used which is similar to the initial real-world dilution. At a stable engine load of 75% of the maximum rated power, and after dilution and cooling of the exhaust gas, there was a bimodal number size distribution, with a major peak at ∼10 nm and a smaller peak at around 30–40 nm. The mass distribution peaked around 20 nm and at 50–60 nm. The emission factor for particle number, EF_PN, for an engine load of 75% in the open-sea was found to be 10.4 ± 1.6 × 10¹⁶ (kg fuel)⁻¹ and about 50% of the particles by number were found to have a nonvolatile core at 250 °C. Additionally, 20 nm particles consist of ∼40% of nonvolatile material by volume (evaporative temperature 250 °C), while the particles with a particle diameter <10 nm evaporate completely at a temperature of 130–150 °C. Emission factors for NO_X, CO, and CO₂ for an engine load of 75% in the open-sea were determined to 4.06 ± 0.3 g (kg fuel)⁻¹, 2.15 ± 0.06 g (kg fuel)⁻¹, and 3.23 ± 0.08 kg (kg fuel)⁻¹, respectively. This work contributes to an improved understanding of particle emissions from shipping using modern pollution reduction measures such as SCR and fuel with low sulfur content

Formation, ageing and thermal properties of secondary organic aerosol

In order to properly represent and predict the effects of aerosol in climate systems, an accurate description of their formation and properties is needed. This thesis describes work done to increase the knowledge of processes and properties of atmospherically relevant secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from both biogenic and anthropogenic origin. The common theme for these projects is the use of a Volatility Tandem Differential Mobility Analyser (VTDMA) setup, which in combination with other observations has generated insight into both detailed chemical mechanisms and physical processes that eventually could be suitable for testing in air quality or climate models. During the course of this work, the experimental facility the Gothenburg Flow Reactor for Oxidation Studies at low Temperatures (G-FROST) and the VTDMA setup, as well as a corresponding data evaluation methodology, have been improved and refined. Thermal properties could be linked to both formation and ageing processes of SOA. Using a VTDMA setup, where the thermal characteristics of SOA were measured at a range of evaporation temperatures, a sigmoidal fit to the data enabled parameterisation of their volatility properties. The parameters extracted were e.g. the temperature corresponding to a volume fraction remaining of 0.5 (TVFR0.5) and the slope factor (SVFR), which are measures of the general volatility and the volatility distribution of the condensed phase products, respectively. A higher TVFR0.5 indicates lower volatility, while an increase of SVFR states a broader distribution of vapour pressures. The response of these parameters from changes in experimental conditions could be linked to processes occurring both in the gaseous and the condensed phase. In photo-chemical experiments, the change in TVFR0.5 and SVFR could be described using the OH dose. The gas phase processes were found to be very important for SOA ageing, driven mainly by OH radical exposure in the outdoor chamber SAPHIR. However, processes in the condensed phase, such as plausible non oxidative ageing processes and non-liquid behaviour of SOA particles, were also observed. Detailed studies of ozonolysis of the boreal forest monoterpenes β-pinene and limonene were enabled by precise control of reaction conditions using the G-FROST. The experimental findings in response to e.g. water and radical conditions emphasized the difference in ozonolysis reaction paths between endo- and exocyclic compounds. The results support the recently suggested decomposition of the stabilized Criegee Intermediate via the hydroperoxide channel in ozonolysis of β-pinene

Influence of Ozone and Radical Chemistry on Limonene Organic Aerosol Production and Thermal Characteristics

Limonene has a strong tendency to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the atmosphere and in indoor environments. Initial oxidation occurs mainly via ozone or OH radical chemistry. We studied the effect of O₃ concentrations with or without a OH radical scavenger (2-butanol) on the SOA mass and thermal characteristics using the Gothenburg Flow Reactor for Oxidation Studies at Low Temperatures and a volatility tandem differential mobility analyzer. The SOA mass using 15 ppb limonene was strongly dependent on O₃ concentrations and the presence of a scavenger. The SOA volatility in the presence of a scavenger decreased with increasing levels of O₃, whereas without a scavenger, there was no significant change. A chemical kinetic model was developed to simulate the observations using vapor pressure estimates for compounds that potentially contributed to SOA. The model showed that the product distribution was affected by changes in both OH and ozone concentrations, which partly explained the observed changes in volatility, but was strongly dependent on accurate vapor pressure estimation methods. The model–experiment comparison indicated a need to consider organic peroxides as important SOA constituents. The experimental findings could be explained by secondary condensed-phase ozone chemistry, which competes with OH radicals for the oxidation of primary unsaturated products

Parameterization of Thermal Properties of Aging Secondary Organic Aerosol Produced by Photo-Oxidation of Selected Terpene Mixtures

Formation and evolution of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) from biogenic VOCs influences the Earth’s radiative balance. We have examined the photo-oxidation and aging of boreal terpene mixtures in the SAPHIR simulation chamber. Changes in thermal properties and chemical composition, deduced from mass spectrometric measurements, were providing information on the aging of biogenic SOA produced under ambient solar conditions. Effects of precursor mixture, concentration, and photochemical oxidation levels (OH exposure) were evaluated. OH exposure was found to be the major driver in the long term photochemical transformations, i.e., reaction times of several hours up to days, of SOA and its thermal properties, whereas the initial concentrations and terpenoid mixtures had only minor influence. The volatility distributions were parametrized using a sigmoidal function to determine TVFR0.5 (the temperature yielding a 50% particle volume fraction remaining) and the steepness of the volatility distribution. TVFR0.5 increased by 0.3 ± 0.1% (ca. 1 K), while the steepness increased by 0.9 ± 0.3% per hour of 1 × 106 cm–3 OH exposure. Thus, aging reduces volatility and increases homogeneity of the vapor pressure distribution, presumably because highly volatile fractions become increasingly susceptible to gas phase oxidation, while less volatile fractions are less reactive with gas phase OH