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Measuring the Organic Carbon to Organic Matter Multiplier with Thermal/Optical Carbon-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Analyses

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Abstract

A thermal/optical carbon analyzer (TOA) was adapted to direct thermally-evolved gases to an electron ionization quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), creating a TOA-QMS. While this approach produces spectra similar to those obtained by the Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), and can quantify sulfate (SO42−), nitrate (NO3−), ammonium (NH4+), and organic carbon (OC) fractions from ambient particle laden quartz-fiber filters, there remains a need to further understand the composition of the organic aerosol fraction. Elemental analysis (EA) of standard organic mixtures and ambient samples demonstrates the feasibility of the TOA-QMS for measuring the ratios of oxygen-to-carbon (O/C), hydrogen-to-carbon (H/C), nitrogen-to-carbon (N/C), sulfur-to-carbon (S/C), and organic matter-to-organic carbon (OM/OC). For ambient samples from Central California, the TOA-QMS returned average ratios for O/C of 1.03 ± 0.27 and H/C of 1.95 ± 0.69, respectively. Higher H/C ratios were observed during clean air episodes, while lower ratios were observed during hazy conditions. A relatively constant level of aerosol oxidation was observed throughout the study. The average OM/OC multiplier was 2.55 ± 0.4, which is higher than the conventionally used values of 1.4 and 1.8, indicating higher contributions from biomass burning and aged aerosols.

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Acknowledgements

This research was partially supported by National Science Foundation Grant no. CHE 1464501 and the National Park Service IMPROVE Carbon Analysis Contract P16PC00229. Dr. Glenn Miller of the University of Nevada, Reno provided useful suggestions for the experiments and their description.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, 89512, USA

    Judith C. Chow, Gustavo M. Riggio, Xiaoliang Wang & John G. Watson

  2. Graduate Faculty, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89503, USA

    Judith C. Chow & John G. Watson

  3. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China

    Judith C. Chow & John G. Watson

  4. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA

    L.-W. Antony Chen

Authors
  1. Judith C. Chow
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  2. Gustavo M. Riggio
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  3. Xiaoliang Wang
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  4. L.-W. Antony Chen
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  5. John G. Watson
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Correspondence to Judith C. Chow.

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Chow, J.C., Riggio, G.M., Wang, X. et al. Measuring the Organic Carbon to Organic Matter Multiplier with Thermal/Optical Carbon-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Analyses. Aerosol Sci Eng 2, 165–172 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-018-0033-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-018-0033-5

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