PM2.5 carbonate concentrations at regionally representative Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environment sites

[1] This experiment shows that carbonate concentrations are negligible at most Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) monitoring sites. Even when present, carbonate does not cause significant biases in total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations in the IMPROVE protocol. The analysis also shows that acidification to remove interferences from carbonates is not necessary when using a thermal evolution method in which the highest temperature is less than 800°C. Seventy-seven samples with the highest calcium concentrations from 58 sites in the IMPROVE network were analyzed for carbonate by acidification. Measured carbonate carbon concentrations at most sites were 800°C temperatures are applied during thermal evolution carbon analysis.

[1]  William C. Malm,et al.  Interpretation of Trends of PM25 and Reconstructed Visibility from the IMPROVE Network , 2000, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[2]  P. Paatero,et al.  Atmospheric aerosol over Alaska: 2. Elemental composition and sources , 1998 .

[3]  J. Shah,et al.  An Automated Thermal-Optical Method for the Analysis of Carbonaceous Aerosol , 1981 .

[4]  H. Cachier,et al.  Thermal Separation of Soot Carbon , 1989 .

[5]  Judith C. Chow,et al.  The dri thermal/optical reflectance carbon analysis system: description, evaluation and applications in U.S. Air quality studies , 1993 .

[6]  W. Malm,et al.  Back-trajectory analyses of fine particulate matter measured at Big Bend National Park in the historical database and the 1996 scoping study. , 2001, The Science of the total environment.

[7]  P. Mueller,et al.  Chemical composition of Pasadena aerosol by particle size and time of day. IV. Carbonate and noncarbonate carbon content , 1972 .

[8]  M. F. Phillips,et al.  Determination of organic and elemental carbon in atmospheric aerosol samples by thermal evolution , 1982 .

[9]  J. Amigó,et al.  Quantitative x-ray diffraction phase analysis of coarse airborne particulate collected by cascade impactor sampling , 1997 .

[10]  J. Shah,et al.  Analysis of Organic and Elemental Carbon in Ambient Aerosols by a Thermal-Optical Method , 1982 .

[11]  Application of Thermal Analysis to the Characterization of Organic Aerosol Particles , 1982 .

[12]  W. Malm,et al.  Spatial and seasonal trends in particle concentration and optical extinction in the United States , 1994 .

[13]  P. Mueller,et al.  CP 37A – CARBONATE AND NONCARBONATE CARBON IN ATMOSPHERIC PARTICLES: CARBONE, CARBONATE ET NON CARBONATE, DANS LES PARTICULES ATMOSPHERIQUE , 1971 .

[14]  T. Novakov.  SOOT IN THE ATMOSPHERE , 1982 .

[15]  Judith C Chow,et al.  Evaluation of OC/EC Speciation by Thermal Manganese Dioxide Oxidation and the IMPROVE Method , 2002, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[16]  Judith C. Chow,et al.  A laboratory resuspension chamber to measure fugitive dust size distributions and chemical compositions , 1994 .

[17]  Barbara J. Turpin,et al.  An in situ, time-resolved analyzer for aerosol organic and elemental carbon , 1990 .

[18]  A. G. Clarke,et al.  Characterisation of the carbonate content of atmospheric aerosols , 1992 .

[19]  H. Horvath.  Comparision of the light absorption coefficient and carbon measures for remote aerosols: An independent analysis of data from the improve network I and II: Discussion , 1997 .

[20]  Hans-Christen Hansson,et al.  Inorganic, organic and macromolecular components of fine aerosol in different areas of Europe in relation to their water solubility , 1999 .

[21]  P. Hopke,et al.  Atmospheric aerosol over Alaska: 1. Spatial and seasonal variability , 1998 .

[22]  Particulate monitoring at US National Parks using PIXE , 1987 .

[23]  W. Chepil.  FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE CLOD STRUCTURE AND ERODIBILITY OF SOIL BY WIND: III. CALCIUM CARBONATE AND DECOMPOSED ORGANIC MATTER , 1954 .

[24]  K. Fung,et al.  Particulate Carbon Speciation by MnO2 Oxidation , 1990 .

[25]  R. A. Eldred,et al.  Trends in elemental concentrations of fine particles at remote sites in the United States of America , 1994 .

[26]  G. M. Hidy,et al.  Atmospheric Particulate Carbon Observations in Urban and Rural Areas of the United States , 1982 .

[27]  P. Groblicki,et al.  Automated carbon analyzer for particulate samples , 1980 .

[28]  W. John,et al.  A cyclone for size-selective sampling of ambient air , 1980 .

[29]  Source apportionment of organic and light-absorbing carbon using receptor modeling techniques , 1996 .

[30]  Judith C. Chow,et al.  Comparison of IMPROVE and NIOSH Carbon Measurements , 2001 .

[31]  H. Huffman.  Comparison of the light absorption coefficient and carbon measures for remote aerosols: An independent analysis of data from the IMPROVE network—I , 1996 .

[32]  Thomas A. Cahill,et al.  Composition of PM2.5 and PM10 Aerosols in the IMPROVE Network , 1997 .

[33]  B. Turpin,et al.  Characterization of the Southwestern Desert Aerosol, Meadview, AZ. , 1997, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[34]  H.Dale Huffman,et al.  The reconstruction of aerosol light absorption by particle measurements at remote sites: An independent analysis of data from the IMPROVE network — II , 1996 .

[35]  E. C. Ellis,et al.  Thermal characterization of organic aerosols , 1984 .