Grantee Research Project Results
2010 Progress Report: Improved Treatment of Atmospheric Organic Particulate Matter Concentrations from Biomass Combustion Emissions
EPA Grant Number: R833747Title: Improved Treatment of Atmospheric Organic Particulate Matter Concentrations from Biomass Combustion Emissions
Investigators: Kreidenweis, Sonia M. , Worsnop, Douglas R. , Collett Jr., Jeffrey L. , Onasch, T. , Jimenez, Jose-Luis , Heald, Colette L. , Hao, Wei Min , Trimborn, Achim , Kroll, Jesse H.
Current Investigators: Kreidenweis, Sonia M. , Kroll, Jesse H. , Heald, Colette L. , Collett Jr., Jeffrey L. , Hao, Wei Min , Worsnop, Douglas R. , Trimborn, Achim , Jimenez, Jose-Luis , Onasch, T.
Institution: Colorado State University , Aerodyne Research Inc. , Fire Sciences Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Research Station
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: September 1, 2007 through December 31, 2010 (Extended to December 31, 2012)
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2009 through December 30,2009
Project Amount: $598,645
RFA: Sources and Atmospheric Formation of Organic Particulate Matter (2007) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Particulate Matter , Air
Objective:
We propose to measure, for the first time, volatility distributions, as functions of both dilution and temperature, of open biomass burning emissions for a variety of fuel types relevant to U.S. air quality. We propose to interpret data using semivolatile partitioning models and to implement and test new biomass-burning emissions maps and partitioning models in large-scale model runs.
Progress Summary:
We have completed a series of experiments in which we generated open biomass-burning emissions and subjected them to controlled dilution and thermal processing. We measured the response of the aerosol mass concentrations and speciation to this processing in order to develop a database that can be used to characterize the volatility of combustion emissions. Our data analyses, currently wrapping up, will evaluate the gas/particulate partitioning of these emissions as a function of both dilution and temperature and also will provide updated emission factors and volatility information for levoglucosan, a key biomass-burning tracer. To date, we have completed preliminary data analyses that reveal a wide variation in the responses of emissions from different fuels to isothermal dilution (~10x and ~100x, which we refer to as “low” and “high” dilution). In the accompanying figure, we summarize our preliminary estimates of these responses for seven tested fuels. The variable plotted on the y-axis is the ratio (observed dilution)/(expected dilution). If this ratio is equal to one, then the emissions were essentially nonvolatile in our experiments; if the ratio is greater than one, as was clearly the case for three of the fuels shown in the figure, the organic particulate matter evaporated significantly upon isothermal dilution and should not be represented as nonvolatile primary particulate emissions in air quality models. Rather, these organic particulate emissions should be modeled as semivolatile, and the subsequent atmospheric fates of the evaporated organic species must be studied further so that they can be accurately simulated.
Future Activities:
In the final year of this project, we are completing analyses and publication of our dilution experiments, emphasizing the HR-ToF-AMS and tracer measurements. In addition to preparing manuscripts on the findings from our rich data set, we also are fitting the information to two-product and volatility basis set frameworks. The compilation of these fits and their application to U.S. air quality modeling will be one of our key deliverables. Our modeling study focuses on the effects of our improved emissions representation on aerosol loadings during selected biomass-burning events affecting the United States. The findings from that work will help elucidate the degree to which the treatment of emissions as semivolatile changes predicted aerosol concentrations.
Journal Articles on this Report : 8 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 31 publications | 24 publications in selected types | All 24 journal articles |
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Cappa CD, Jimenez JL. Quantitative estimates of the volatility of ambient organic aerosol. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 2010;10(12):5409-5424. |
R833747 (2010) R833747 (2011) R833747 (Final) |
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Cubison MJ, Ortega AM, Hayes PL, Farmer DK, Day D, Lechner MJ, Brune WH, Apel E, Diskin GS, Fisher JA, Fuelberg HE, Hecobian A, Knapp DJ, Mikoviny T, Riemer D, Sachse GW, Sessions W, Weber RJ, Weinheimer AJ, Wisthaler A, Jimenez JL. Effects of aging on organic aerosol from open biomass burning smoke in aircraft and laboratory studies. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 2011;11(23):12049-12064. |
R833747 (2010) R833747 (2011) R833747 (Final) |
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DeCarlo PF, Ulbrich IM, Crounse J, de Foy B, Dunlea EJ, Aiken AC, Knapp D, Weinheimer AJ, Campos T, Wennberg PO, Jimenez JL. Investigation of the sources and processing of organic aerosol over the Central Mexican Plateau from aircraft measurements during MILAGRO. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 2010;10(12):5257-5280. |
R833747 (2010) R833747 (2011) R833747 (Final) R832161 (Final) |
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Hennigan CJ, Miracolo MA, Engelhart GJ, May AA, Presto AA, Lee T, Sullivan AP, McMeeking GR, Coe H, Wold CE, Hao W-M, Gilman JB, Kuster WC, de Gouw J, Schichtel BA, Collett Jr. JL, Kreidenweis SM, Robinson AL. Chemical and physical transformations of organic aerosol from the photo-oxidation of open biomass burning emissions in an environmental chamber. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 2011;11(15):7669-7686. |
R833747 (2010) R833747 (2011) R833747 (Final) |
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Kimmel JR, Farmer DK, Cubison MJ, Sueper D, Tanner C, Nemitz E, Worsnop DR, Gonin M, Jimenez JL. Real-time aerosol mass spectrometry with millisecond resolution. International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 2011;303(1):15-26. |
R833747 (2010) R833747 (2011) R833747 (Final) |
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Lee T, Sullivan AP, Mack L, Jimenez JL, Kreidenweis SM, Onasch TB, Worsnop DR, Malm W, Wold CE, Hao WM, Collett Jr. JL. Chemical smoke marker emissions during flaming and smoldering phases of laboratory open burning of wildland fuels. Aerosol Science and Technology 2010;44(9):i-v. |
R833747 (2009) R833747 (2010) R833747 (2011) R833747 (Final) |
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Robinson CB, Kimmel JR, David DE, Jayne JT, Trimborn A, Worsnop DR, Jimenez JL. Thermal desorption metastable atom bombardment ionization aerosol mass spectrometer. International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 2011;303(2-3):164-172. |
R833747 (2010) R833747 (2011) R833747 (Final) |
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Spracklen DV, Jimenez JL, Carslaw KS, Worsnop DR, Evans MJ, Mann GW, Zhang Q, Canagaratna MR, Allan J, Coe H, McFiggans G, Rap A, Forster P. Aerosol mass spectrometer constraint on the global secondary organic aerosol budget. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 2011;11(23):12109-12136. |
R833747 (2010) R833747 (2011) R833747 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
primary organic aerosol, semivolatile organics, volatile organic carbon, VOC, organic gas-aerosol partitioning, modeling, volatility distribution, thermal denuder, levoglucosan, source profiles, fire emissions, fire mapsProgress 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.