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No evidence for acid‐catalyzed secondary organic aerosol formation in power plant plumes over metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia
Author(s) -
Peltier R. E.,
Sullivan A. P.,
Weber R. J.,
Wollny A. G.,
Holloway J. S.,
Brock C. A.,
de Gouw J. A.,
Atlas E. L.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl028780
Subject(s) - aerosol , environmental chemistry , environmental science , sulfate , total organic carbon , plume , atlanta , sea salt , atmospheric sciences , carbon fibers , metropolitan area , chemistry , meteorology , geology , materials science , geography , organic chemistry , archaeology , composite number , composite material
Aircraft‐based measurements of the water‐soluble fraction of fine PM organic carbon (WSOC) and inorganic salt composition in the Atlanta, GA region were conducted in the summer of 2004. Five notable plumes of SO 2 , apparently from coal‐fired power plants, were intercepted, and had NH 4 + /SO 4 2− molar ratios ranging from approximately 0.8 to 1.4 compared to molar ratios near 2 outside of the plumes. Sulfate aerosol concentrations increased from a regional background of 5–8 μ g m −3 to as high as 19.5 μ g m −3 within these plumes. No increase in WSOC concentrations was observed in plumes compared to out‐of‐plumes within a WSOC measurement uncertainty of 8%. These measurements suggest that secondary organic aerosol formation via heterogeneous acid‐catalyzed reactions within power plant plumes are not likely a significant contributor to the ambient aerosol mass loading in Atlanta and the surrounding region. Because this region is rich in both biogenic and anthropogenic volatile organic carbon (VOC), the results may be widely applicable.