1 research outputs found
pH of Aerosols in a Polluted Atmosphere: Source Contributions to Highly Acidic Aerosol
Acidity (pH) plays a key role in
the physical and chemical behavior of PM<sub>2.5</sub>. However, understanding
of how specific PM sources impact aerosol pH is rarely considered.
Performing source apportionment of PM<sub>2.5</sub> allows a unique
link of sources pH of aerosol from the polluted city. Hourly water-soluble
(WS) ions of PM<sub>2.5</sub> were measured online from December 25th,
2014 to June 19th, 2015 in a northern city in China. Five sources
were resolved including secondary nitrate (41%), secondary sulfate
(26%), coal combustion (14%), mineral dust (11%), and vehicle exhaust
(9%). The influence of source contributions to pH was estimated by
ISORROPIA-II. The lowest aerosol pH levels were found at low WS-ion
levels and then increased with increasing total ion levels, until
high ion levels occur, at which point the aerosol becomes more acidic
as both sulfate and nitrate increase. Ammonium levels increased nearly
linearly with sulfate and nitrate until approximately 20 μg
m<sup>–3</sup>, supporting that the ammonium in the aerosol
was more limited by thermodynamics than source limitations, and aerosol
pH responded more to the contributions of sources such as dust than
levels of sulfate. Commonly used pH indicator ratios were not indicative
of the pH estimated using the thermodynamic model