Grantee Research Project Results
2021 Progress Report: Developing mechanisms for secondary organic aerosol from oxygenated volatile organic compounds in biomass burning and volatile chemical product emissions
EPA Grant Number: R840008Title: Developing mechanisms for secondary organic aerosol from oxygenated volatile organic compounds in biomass burning and volatile chemical product emissions
Investigators: Jathar, Shantanu , Pierce, Jeffrey
Institution: Colorado State University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: August 1, 2020 through April 24, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 1, 2020 through July 31,2021
Project Amount: $400,000
RFA: Chemical Mechanisms to Address New Challenges in Air Quality Modeling (2019) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Engineering , Early Career Awards , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Air
Objective:
The goal of this research is to improve the representation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from oxygenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in biomass burning and VCP sources in chemical mechanisms. We hypothesize that the inclusion of oxygenated VOCs, particularly phenols, furans, glycols, and glycol ethers, in chemical mechanisms will improve predictions of SOA formation and properties in air quality models (AQMs).
Progress Summary:
The project team was able to work on all three objectives in Year 1 of the project. Significant improvements were made to the primary model (Statistical Oxidation Model-TwO Moment Aerosol Sectional (SOM-TOMAS)) to simulate NOX-dependent SOA formation and heterogeneous oxidation of organic aerosol (OA). The model was used to develop SOA parameters from an important and emerging class of VCP VOCs (glycol ethers). Finally, the SOM-TOMAS model was used to inform parameters for a reduced-form volatility basis set (VBS) model for potential use in air quality models.
Future Activities:
In Year 2, the updated SOM-TOMAS model will be used to (i) develop NOX-dependent SOA parameters for a diversity of oxygenated VOCs and (ii) study OA formation and evolution from complex mixtures in environmental reactors and field environments (e.g., Los Angeles, New York City).
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 42 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
volatile chemical products, wildfires, volatile organic compounds, secondary organic aerosol, heterogeneous chemistry, volatility basis setProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.