Technical Note: Use of a beam width probe in an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer to monitor particle collection efficiency in the field
Year: 2007
Type: article
Abstract: . An Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) was deployed at the CENICA Supersite, while another was deployed in the Aerodyne Mobile Laboratory (AML) during the Mexico City Metropolitan Area field study (MCMA-2003) from 31 March–4 May 2003 to investigate particle concentrations, sources, and processes. This is the first of a series of papers reporting the AMS results from this campaign. The AMS provides real time information on mass concentration and composition of the non-refractory species in particulate matter less than 1 µm (NR-PM1) with high time and size-resolution. For the first time, we report field results from a beam width probe, which was used to study the shape and mixing state of the particles and to quantify potential losses of irregular particles due to beam broadening inside the AMS. Data from this probe show that no significant amount of irregular particles was lost due to excessive beam broadening. A comparison of the CENICA and AML AMSs measurements is presented, being the first published intercomparison between two quadrupole AMSs. The speciation, and mass concentrations reported by the two AMSs compared relatively well. The differences found are likely due to the different inlets used in both instruments. In order to account for the refractory material in the aerosol, we also present measurements of Black Carbon (BC) using an aethalometer and an estimate of the aerosol soil component obtained from Proton-Induced X-ray Emission Spectrometry (PIXE) analysis of impactor substrates. Comparisons of AMS + BC + soil mass concentration with other collocated particle instruments (a LASAIR Optical Particle Counter, a Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM) and a DustTrak Aerosol Monitor) are also presented. The comparisons show that the AMS + BC + soil mass concentration during MCMA-2003 is a good approximation to the total PM2.5 mass concentration.
Authors: D. Salcedo, K. Dzepina, T. B. Onasch, M. R. Canagaratna, Q. Zhang, A.. R. Huffman, P. F. DeCarlo, J. T. Jayne, P. Mortimer, D. R. Worsnop, C. E. Kolb, K. S. Johnson, B. Zuberi, L. C. Marr, L. T. Molina, M. J. Molina, R. M. Bernabé, B. Cardenas, C. Márquez, J. S. Gaffney, N. A. Marley, A. Laskin, V. Shutthanandan, J. L. Jimenez
Institutions: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Aerodyne Research, Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins University, Paul Scherrer Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Empa, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, University of Manchester, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio Climático, Argonne National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,725
Awards: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A SIZE AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION-RESOLVED AEROSOL FLUX MEASUREMENT, G222768804, Atmospheric Field Measurements in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area, QUANTITATIVE REALTIME MEASUREMENT OF SIZE RESOLVED AEROSOL CHEMICAL COMPOSITION ON BOARD THE NASA P3, CHARACTERIZATION OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PM) AND SECONDARY PM PRECURSOR GASES IN THE MEXICO CITY METROPOLITAN AREA, Collaborative Research: Characterization of Sources and Processes of Organic Fine Particulate Matter in Mexico City, CAREER: Aerosol Properties and Effects through Organic Aerosol Characterization, Integrated Analysis of Multi-Instrument Data, and Aerosol-Cloud Nucleation Closure
OpenAlex ID: W2155814246