title: A simple procedure for correcting loading effects of aethalometer data.
abstract: A simple method for correcting for the loading effects of aethalometer data is presented. The formula BC(CORRECTED) = (1 + k x ATN) x BC(NONCORRECTED), where ATN is the attenuation and BC is black carbon, was used for correcting aethalometer data obtained from measurements at three different sites: a subway station in Helsinki, an urban background measurement station in Helsinki, and a rural station in Hyytiälä in central Finland. The BC data were compared with simultaneously measured aerosol volume concentrations (V). After the correction algorithm, the BC-to-V ratio remained relatively stable between consequent filter spots, which can be regarded as indirect evidence that the correction algorithm works. The k value calculated from the outdoor sites had a clear seasonal cycle that could be explained by darker aerosol in winter than in summer. When the contribution of BC to the total aerosol volume was high, the k factor was high and vice versa. In winter, the k values at all wavelengths were very close to that obtained from the subway station data. In summer, the k value was wavelength dependent and often negative. When the k value is negative, the noncorrected BC concentrations overestimated the true concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Air Quality Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Research and Development, Helsinki, Finland. aki.virkkula@fmi.fi
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Virkkula
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hillamo
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yli-Tuomi
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirsikko
authors.forename: Kaarle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hämeri
authors.forename: Ismo K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Koponen
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis; D000465:Algorithms; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005387:Finland; D008027:Light; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012621:Seasons; D053260:Soot / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D053260:Soot