Chemical and physical transformations of organic aerosol from the photo-oxidation of open biomass burning emissions in an environmental chamber

Abstract

Smog chamber experiments were conducted to investigate the chemical and physical transformations of organic aerosol (OA) during photo-oxidation of open biomass burning emissions. The experiments were carried out at the US Forest Service Fire Science Laboratory as part of the third Fire Lab at Missoula Experiment (FLAME III). We investigated emissions from 12 different fuels commonly burned in North American wildfires. The experiments feature atmospheric and plume aerosol and oxidant concentrations; aging times ranged from 3 to 4.5 h. OA production, expressed as a mass enhancement ratio (ratio of OA to primary OA (POA) mass), was highly variable. OA mass enhancement ratios ranged from 2.9 in experiments where secondary OA (SOA) production nearly tripled the POA concentration to 0.7 in experiments where photo-oxidation resulted in a 30% loss of the OA mass.

Citation

Hennigan, C. J.; Miracolo, M. A.; Engelhart, G. J.; May, A. A.; Presto, A. A.; Lee, T.; Sullivan, A. P.; McMeeking, G. R.; Coe, H.; Wold, C. E.; Hao, W.-M.; Gilman, J. B.; Kuster, W. C.; de Gouw, J.; Schichtel, B. A.; Collett, J. L., Jr.; Kreidenweis, S. M.; Robinson, A. L. 2011. Chemical and physical transformations of organic aerosol from the photo-oxidation of open biomass burning emissions in an environmental chamber. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 11: 7669-7686.