title: Polluted dust promotes new particle formation and growth.
abstract: Understanding new particle formation and their subsequent growth in the troposphere has a critical impact on our ability to predict atmospheric composition and global climate change. High pre-existing particle loadings have been thought to suppress the formation of new atmospheric aerosol particles due to high condensation and coagulation sinks. Here, based on field measurements at a mountain site in South China, we report, for the first time, in situ observational evidence on new particle formation and growth in remote ambient atmosphere during heavy dust episodes mixed with anthropogenic pollution. Both the formation and growth rates of particles in the diameter range 15-50 nm were enhanced during the dust episodes, indicating the influence of photo-induced, dust surface-mediated reactions and resulting condensable vapor production. This study provides unique in situ observations of heterogeneous photochemical processes inducing new particle formation and growth in the real atmosphere, and suggests an unexpected impact of mineral dust on climate and atmospheric chemistry.
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Climate and Global Change Research &School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing. 210093, China [2] Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China [3] Collaborative Innovation Center of Climate Change, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Climate and Global Change Research &School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing. 210093, China [2] Collaborative Innovation Center of Climate Change, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Aijun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: 1] Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Veli-Matti
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Kerminen
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69626, France; Université Lyon 1, Lyon, F-69626, France; CNRS, UMR5256, IRCELYON, Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l'Environnement de Lyon, Villeurbanne. F-69626, France.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Likun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Wenxing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Qingzhu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuukka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Petäjä
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Climate and Global Change Research &School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing. 210093, China [2] Collaborative Innovation Center of Climate Change, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Ximeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaomei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Xinfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Climate and Global Change Research &School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing. 210093, China [2] Collaborative Innovation Center of Climate Change, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiuqun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Climate and Global Change Research &School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing. 210093, China [2] Collaborative Innovation Center of Climate Change, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Congbin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kulmala