The Characteristics of Water-Soluble Inorganic Ions in PM<sub>1.0</sub> and Their Impact on Visibility at a Typical Coastal Airport
Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) can increase the hygroscopicity of aerosols, which will transform aerosols into larger sizes and reduce visibility by enhancing light scattering. To explore the characteristics of WSII concentrations and their impacts on visibility in a coastal airport, in this s...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/11/1367 |
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| Summary: | Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) can increase the hygroscopicity of aerosols, which will transform aerosols into larger sizes and reduce visibility by enhancing light scattering. To explore the characteristics of WSII concentrations and their impacts on visibility in a coastal airport, in this study, PM<sub>1.0</sub> samples at two monitoring sites (including airport site and background site) were collect in spring and summer, and 12 species of ions were detected. In general, secondary water-soluble inorganic ions (SNA, including <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>SO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>−</mo></mrow></msubsup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>NO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msubsup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>NH</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo></mrow></msubsup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>) and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mrow><mi>Ca</mi></mrow><mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>+</mo></mrow></mrow></msup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> were the dominant WSIIs in PM<sub>1.0</sub>, contributing about 89% to 95% of the total measured ions. The continental contributions of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>SO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>−</mo></mrow></msubsup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">K</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo></mrow></msup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mrow><mi>Ca</mi></mrow><mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>+</mo></mrow></mrow></msup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> accounted for more than 60% during the whole period, while Na<sup>+</sup> and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mrow><mi>Cl</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> were mainly from marine sources. The source identification showed that airport emissions were a major source at the sampling site and significantly contributed to the levels of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium. Agricultural activities were the dominant sources impacting visibility in spring, while airport emissions and secondary inorganic aerosols were the main components affecting visibility in summer. Therefore, improving atmospheric visibility in coastal airport areas should focus on reducing the precursors of secondary particulates and reducing biomass-burning activities. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4433 |