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Atmosphere
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Atmospheric Aerosols: Source Apportionment, Characterizations, and Impacts
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Atmospheric Aerosols: Source Apportionment, Characterizations, and Impacts

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Aerosols".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2025) | Viewed by 8206

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hewen Niu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: carbonaceous aerosol; cryospheric chemistry ; tropopause aerosol
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mingxuan Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
Interests: black carbon; mineral dust; nitrate aerosol; aerosol–chemistry–climate interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Atmospheric aerosols play important roles in regional air quality, as well as in Earth’s climate. They can impact Earth’s radiation budget, cloud properties, hydrological cycle, atmospheric chemistry, land run-off, and surface albedo. However, large uncertainties remain in estimating their short-term and climatic impacts on a regional and global scale. New knowledge of aerosol physical, combined with chemical characteristics gained from observational and modeling studies, can provide process-level insights and greatly improve model performance. Due to the importance of atmospheric aerosols in the Earth’s system, knowing their relative contributions from different source regions is also useful for a policy improving air quality and mitigating climate change.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Source attribution of anthropogenic aerosols (e.g., black carbon, primary/secondary organic aerosols, sulfate, and nitrate) and their climate impact (focusing on radiative forcing, temperature, and precipitation) on populated and/or polluted receptor regions (e.g, South Asia, East Asia), as well as on remote regions such as the Arctic and Antarctic.
  • Quantification and understanding of source sector contributions (e.g., residential, industrial, agriculture, and biomass burning) of anthropogenic aerosols to populated and/or polluted regions for policy making and air quality/climate mitigation plans.
  • Source attribution of mineral dust and its radiative forcing to understand the transport across the Pacific and Atlantic to remote regions.
  • Observational and modeling studies of aerosol physical and chemical characteristics, such as size, morphology, composition, hygroscopicity, and radiative properties, and their interactions with regional air quality and global climate.

Dr. Hewen Niu
Dr. Mingxuan Wu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anthropogenic aerosols
  • radiative forcing
  • physical and chemical characteristics

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 3950 KiB  
Article
Post-War Air Quality Index in Mosul City, Iraq: Does War Still Have an Impact on Air Quality Today?
by Zena Altahaan and Daniel Dobslaw
Atmosphere 2025, 16(2), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16020135 - 27 Jan 2025
Viewed by 981
Abstract
The air quality in Mosul was adversely affected both directly and indirectly during and after the conflict phase, spanning from the occupation to the liberation of the city from ISIS (2014–2017). Direct impacts included the ignition of oil fields and sulphur deposits, as [...] Read more.
The air quality in Mosul was adversely affected both directly and indirectly during and after the conflict phase, spanning from the occupation to the liberation of the city from ISIS (2014–2017). Direct impacts included the ignition of oil fields and sulphur deposits, as well as the use of military weapons and their propellants. Indirectly, the air quality was also compromised by various other factors negatively affecting the quality due to excessive emission levels of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other toxic gases. Six important locations in the city of Mosul were selected, and the concentrations of the parameters PM2.5, PM10, formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), NO2 and SO2 were determined at monthly intervals during the year 2022. The sites were selected both according to their proximity and their specific distance from the direct conflict zone. The aim was to assess the present pollutant levels based on WHO guidelines and to compare the results with previous pre-war studies to understand the long-term war impact on air quality. The results showed that the annual average values of PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 were above the WHO limits at all locations throughout the year. In contrast, the annual average values of TVOC, HCHO and SO2 were within the limits in the hot months but exceeded them in the cold months (December to March), which can be attributed to the use of heating material in winter. Two sites revealed higher pollution levels than the others, which can be attributed to their proximity to the devastated areas (conflict zones), high traffic density and a high density of power generators. These factors were further exacerbated by post-war migration from the destroyed and unsafe areas. Thus, in addition to the short-term effects of burning oil fields and sulphur deposits, as well as airborne weapon emissions, the increase in traffic, the use of decentralized power generators, and the higher demand for heating oil, progressive desertification due to deforestation and the destruction of extensive green areas, as well as increasing and unaddressed environmental violations in general, can be held responsible for declining air quality in the urban area. This work should be considered as preliminary work to emphasise the urgent need for conventional air quality monitoring to consolidate air quality data and monitor the effectiveness of different approaches to mitigate war-related air quality deterioration. Possible approaches include the implementation of air purification technologies, the preservation of existing ecosystems, the replacement of fossil energy sources with renewable energy options, proactive and sustainable urban planning and enforcing strict air quality regulations and policies to control and reduce pollution levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Aerosols: Source Apportionment, Characterizations, and Impacts)
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15 pages, 1876 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Impact of Increased Heavy Oil Consumption on Urban Pollution Levels through Isotope (δ13C, δ34S, 14C) Composition
by Laurynas Bučinskas, Inga Garbarienė, Agnė Mašalaitė, Justina Šapolaitė, Žilvinas Ežerinskis, Dalia Jasinevičienė and Andrius Garbaras
Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080883 - 24 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 806
Abstract
The impact of heavy fuel oil (HFO) on the chemical and isotopic composition of submicron particulate matter (PM1) was investigated. For this purpose, we conducted an analysis of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) and multiple isotopes (δ34S, δ13C, [...] Read more.
The impact of heavy fuel oil (HFO) on the chemical and isotopic composition of submicron particulate matter (PM1) was investigated. For this purpose, we conducted an analysis of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) and multiple isotopes (δ34S, δ13C, 14C) of PM1 and SO2 collected during two heating periods: before (2021–2022) and during the use of HFO (2022–2023) in Vilnius, Lithuania. The results showed that the combustion of HFO increased the concentrations of SO2 (by 94%) and PM1-related sulfate (by 30%). It also altered the chemical composition of PM1, with sulfate becoming the predominant component (~40%) of WSIIs. The stable sulfur isotope ratios of SO2 (δ34SSO2) and sulfate (δ34SPM1) shifted significantly to more negative values (δ34SSO2 = 0.4‰, δ34SPM1 = −0.3‰) compared to the previous heating period. Anticorrelation between δ13C and δ34S values indicated increased contributions of 13C-enriched fossil fuel sources (coal and HFO) in EC, although the share of fossil fuels in elemental carbon (EC) slightly decreased during the HFO period. The combustion of HFO affected the concentrations of PM1 chemical components and substantially impacted the isotopic composition and source contributions of sulfate and EC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Aerosols: Source Apportionment, Characterizations, and Impacts)
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14 pages, 3166 KiB  
Article
Hygroscopic Properties of Water-Soluble Counterpart of Ultrafine Particles from Agriculture Crop-Residue Burning in Patiala, Northwestern India
by Ashmeet Kaur Alang, Shankar G. Aggarwal, Khem Singh, Prabha Johri, Ravinder Agarwal and Kimitaka Kawamura
Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 835; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070835 - 14 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1231
Abstract
To determine the link between hygroscopicity and the constituent chemical composition of real biomass-burning atmospheric particles, we collected and analyzed aerosols during wheat-straw (April–May), rice-straw (October–November), and no-burning periods (August–September) in 2008 and 2009 in Patiala, Punjab. A hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer [...] Read more.
To determine the link between hygroscopicity and the constituent chemical composition of real biomass-burning atmospheric particles, we collected and analyzed aerosols during wheat-straw (April–May), rice-straw (October–November), and no-burning periods (August–September) in 2008 and 2009 in Patiala, Punjab. A hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) system was used to measure hygroscopicity at ~5 to ~95% relative humidity (RH) of aerosolized 100 nm particles generated from the water extracts of PM0.4 burning and no-burning aerosol samples. The chemical analyses of the extracts show that organic carbon and water-soluble inorganic-ion concentrations are 2 to 3 times higher in crop-residue burning aerosol samples compared to no-burning aerosols, suggesting the substantial contribution of biomass burning to the carbonaceous aerosols at the sampling site. We observed that aerosolized 100 nm particles collected during the crop-residue burning period show higher and more variable hygroscopic growth factor (g(RH)) ranging from 1.21 to 1.68 at 85% RH, compared to no-burning samples (1.27 to 1.33). Interestingly, crop-residue burning particles also show considerable shrinkage in their size (i.e., g(RH) < 1) at lower RH (<50%) in the dehumidification mode. The increased level of major inorganic ions in biomass-burning period aerosols is a possible reason for higher g(RH) as well as the observed particle shrinkage. Overall, the measured g(RH), together with the correlation observed between aerosol water content and ionic-species volume fraction, and the study of the abundance of individual constituent ionic species suggests that inorganic salts and their proportion in aerosol particles primarily governed the aerosol hygroscopicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Aerosols: Source Apportionment, Characterizations, and Impacts)
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23 pages, 83064 KiB  
Article
Study of the Atmospheric Transport of Sea-Spray Aerosols in a Coastal Zone Using a High-Resolution Model
by Alix Limoges, Jacques Piazzola, Christophe Yohia, Quentin Rodier, William Bruch, Elisa Canepa and Pierre Sagaut
Atmosphere 2024, 15(6), 702; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15060702 - 12 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1251
Abstract
Fine-scale models for the transport of marine aerosols are of great interest for the study of micro-climates and air quality in areas of complex topography, such as in urbanized coastal areas. To this end, the MIO laboratory implemented the Meso-NH model in its [...] Read more.
Fine-scale models for the transport of marine aerosols are of great interest for the study of micro-climates and air quality in areas of complex topography, such as in urbanized coastal areas. To this end, the MIO laboratory implemented the Meso-NH model in its LES version over the northwest Mediterranean coastal zone using a recent sea-spray source function. Simulated meteorological parameters and aerosol concentrations are compared to experimental data acquired in the Mediterranean coastal zone in spring 2008 on board the R/V Atalante. Key findings indicate that the large eddy simulation (LES) mode closely matches with the experimental data, enabling an in-depth analysis of the numerical model ability to predict variations in aerosol concentrations. These variations are influenced by different wind directions, which lead to various fetch distances typical of coastal zones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Aerosols: Source Apportionment, Characterizations, and Impacts)
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Review

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18 pages, 2092 KiB  
Review
A Study of Chemical Processes of Nitrate in Atmospheric Aerosol and Snow Based on Stable Isotopes
by Mengxue Chen, Hewen Niu and Yankun Xiang
Atmosphere 2024, 15(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010059 - 31 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2714
Abstract
Nitrate (NO3−) is a prominent atmospheric pollutant and a key chemical constituent of snow and ice, which plays a crucial role in the atmosphere and significantly impacts regional climate and environment conditions through a series of complex chemical processes. By [...] Read more.
Nitrate (NO3−) is a prominent atmospheric pollutant and a key chemical constituent of snow and ice, which plays a crucial role in the atmosphere and significantly impacts regional climate and environment conditions through a series of complex chemical processes. By summarizing the recent research progress on the nitrate chemical process (particularly on the isotopic measurements of NO3− (δ15N, Δ17O and δ18O)) in atmosphere and glacier snow, this study mainly investigated the chemical compositions and chemical processes, formation pathways, and photochemical reactions of nitrate in snow and atmosphere. Our results identified that the main ways of atmospheric nitrate formation are the hydrolysis of N2O5 and the reaction of ·OH with NO2; the spatial distribution of Δ17O and δ18O values of atmospheric nitrate have a significant latitudinal trend between 30° N–60° N; the study of stable isotopes (δ15N and δ18O) and the oxygen isotope anomaly (Δ17O) of nitrate have mainly been carried out over the densely populated and coastal mega cities; there exist significant gaps in the study of chemistry processes of nitrate in snow and ice and the air–snow interfaces across glaciated regions. This study provides a basic reference for more robust observations and research of nitrate in glacier areas in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Aerosols: Source Apportionment, Characterizations, and Impacts)
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