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Aerosol Chemical and Optical Properties during the Mt. Zirkel Visibility Study
Author(s) -
Watson John G.,
Chow Judith C.,
Lowenthal Douglas H.,
Cahill Catherine F.,
Blumenthal Donald L.,
Richards L.Willard,
Jorge Helena González
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2001.3041118x
Subject(s) - nephelometer , aerosol , ammonium sulfate , total organic carbon , sulfate , mie scattering , ammonium , particle size , particle (ecology) , chemistry , scattering , ammonium nitrate , light scattering , mineralogy , nitrate , analytical chemistry (journal) , environmental chemistry , optics , chromatography , geology , organic chemistry , physics , oceanography
Aerosol chemical and optical properties were measured near the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness Area in northwestern Colorado. Six‐hour PM 2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 μm) mass concentrations and PM 2.5 dry particle light scattering at 550 nm averaged 4.6 μg m −3 and 8.6 Mm −1 , respectively. Sulfates, organic carbon, and geological material were the principle components of particle mass and light scattering. Hygroscopic growth was consistent with that expected for ammonium sulfate aerosols. Size distributions derived from three‐wavelength (i.e., 450, 550, and 700 nm) nephelometer data were similar to those measured in other remote areas of the western USA. Quasi‐dry chemical light scattering efficiencies derived using Mie theory were 3.6 m 2 g −1 for organic carbon, 2.5 m 2 g −1 for sulfates (ammonium sulfate and ammonium bisulfate), 2.6 m 2 g −1 for ammonium nitrate, and 1.76 m 2 g −1 for geological material. These values are lower than but consistent with previously reported results. Realistic efficiencies could not be derived using the multiple linear regression (MLR) approach.