Measurement report: Optical and structural properties of atmospheric water-soluble organic carbon in China – insights from multi-site spectroscopic measurements
<p>To understand the spatial variation of optical and structural properties of water-soluble brown carbon and its influencing factors in China, the light absorption, fluorescence, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in different regions of Chin...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/3647/2025/acp-25-3647-2025.pdf |
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| Summary: | <p>To understand the spatial variation of optical and structural properties of water-soluble brown carbon and its influencing factors in China, the light absorption, fluorescence, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in different regions of China are measured following the same analytical methods. The average light absorption coefficients and mass absorption efficiencies of WSOC at 365 nm (Abs<span class="inline-formula"><sub>365</sub></span> and MAE<span class="inline-formula"><sub>365</sub></span>) rank from high to low as northwest China <span class="inline-formula">></span> southwest China <span class="inline-formula">></span> north China <span class="inline-formula">></span> east China <span class="inline-formula">></span> regional site, with higher values in northern China than southern China and regional sites and higher values in inland areas than coastal areas. The light absorption factors resolved by light absorption spectra-based positive matrix factorization model and the abundance of aromatic <span class="inline-formula">O−H</span> and <span class="inline-formula">C=C</span> functional groups determined by FTIR both indicate that aromatic compounds are significant light-absorbing substances in WSOC and have a significant impact on fluorophores. Multiple linear regression analysis shows that the fluorophores identified by fluorescence spectra combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) contribute to about 62 %–93 % of<span id="page3648"/> the WSOC light absorption at all sites, in which humic-like substance (HULIS) contributes the most, especially highly oxygenated HULIS (29 %–50 %) with long emission wavelengths. Combustion source emissions and atmospheric chemical processes have significant impacts on the WSOC light absorption at some sites. Moreover, relative humidity (RH) can also affect MAE<span class="inline-formula"><sub>365</sub></span> of WSOC, with MAE<span class="inline-formula"><sub>365</sub></span> values decreasing with the increase in RH when <span class="inline-formula">RH<60</span> % and remaining relatively unchanged when <span class="inline-formula">RH>60</span> %. Taken together, this study promotes a better understanding of the spatial heterogeneity of optical and structural properties of WSOC and their influencing factors in China.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |