Representation of secondary organic aerosol laboratory chamber data for the interpretation of mechanisms of particle growth.
Absorptive models of gas-particle partitioning have been shown to be successful in describing the formation and growth of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Here the expression for particle growth derived by Odum et al. (Odum, J. R.; Hoffmann, T.; Bowman, F.; Collins, D.; Flagan, R. C.; Seinfeld, J. H. Gas/particle partitioning and secondary organic aerosol yields. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1996, 30, 2580-2585) is extended to facilitate interpretation of SOA growth data measured in the laboratory in terms of the underlying chemistry, even when details of the reactions are not well-constrained. A simple (one-component) expression for aerosol growth (deltaM) as a function of the amount of hydrocarbon reacted (deltaHC) is derived, and the effects of changes to three key parameters, stoichiometric yield of condensable species, gas-particle partitioning coefficient, and concentration of preexisting aerosol, are discussed. Two sets of laboratory chamber data on SOA growth are examined in this context: the ozonolysis of alpha-pinene and the OH-initiated photooxidation of aromatic compounds. Even though these two systems have a number of significant differences, both are described well within this framework. From the shapes of the deltaM versus deltaHC curves in each case, the importance of poorly constrained chemistry such as heterogeneous reactions and gas-phase reactions of oxidation products is examined.
Department of Environmental Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
Jesse H
JH
Kroll
John H
JH
Seinfeld
D000336:Aerosols / Q000737:chemistry*; D000392:Air Movements; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D000081008:Bicyclic Monoterpenes; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / Q000032:analysis; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000032:analysis; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010126:Ozone / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D014835:Volatilization
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D000081008:Bicyclic Monoterpenes; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical; D010126:Ozone; C005451:alpha-pinene