Description: A chamber study of the influence of boreal BVOC emissions and sulfuric acid on nanoparticle formation rates at ambient concentrations

This title appears in the Scientific Report : 2016

A chamber study of the influence of boreal BVOC emissions and sulfuric acid on nanoparticle formation rates at ambient concentrations

Aerosol formation from biogenic and anthropogenic precursor trace gases in continental background areas affects climate via altering the amount of available cloud condensation nuclei. Significant uncertainty still exists regarding the agents controlling the formation of aerosol nanoparticles. We hav...

Personal Name(s):	Dal Maso, M. (Corresponding author)
	Liao, L. / Wildt, J. / Kiendler-Scharr, A. / Kleist, E. / Tillmann, R. / Sipilä, M. / Hakala, J. / Lehtipalo, K. / Ehn, M. / Kerminen, V.-M. / Kulmala, M. / Worsnop, D. / Mentel, T.
Contributing Institute:	Pflanzenwissenschaften; IBG-2 Troposphäre; IEK-8
Published in:	Atmospheric chemistry and physics, 16 (2016) 4, S. 1955 - 1970
Imprint:	Katlenburg-Lindau EGU 2016
DOI:	10.5194/acp-16-1955-2016
Document Type:	Journal Article
Research Program:	Tropospheric trace substances and their transformation processes
Link:	OpenAccess OpenAccess
	Publikationsportal JuSER

Please use the identifier: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1955-2016 in citations.
Please use the identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/11992 in citations.

Aerosol formation from biogenic and anthropogenic precursor trace gases in continental background areas affects climate via altering the amount of available cloud condensation nuclei. Significant uncertainty still exists regarding the agents controlling the formation of aerosol nanoparticles. We have performed experiments in the Jülich plant–atmosphere simulation chamber with instrumentation for the detection of sulfuric acid and nanoparticles, and present the first simultaneous chamber observations of nanoparticles, sulfuric acid, and realistic levels and mixtures of biogenic volatile compounds (BVOCs). We present direct laboratory observations of nanoparticle formation from sulfuric acid and realistic BVOC precursor vapour mixtures performed at atmospherically relevant concentration levels. We directly measured particle formation rates separately from particle growth rates. From this, we established that in our experiments, the formation rate was proportional to the product of sulfuric acid and biogenic VOC emission strength. The formation rates were consistent with a mechanism in which nucleating BVOC oxidation products are rapidly formed and activate with sulfuric acid. The growth rate of nanoparticles immediately after birth was best correlated with estimated products resulting from BVOC ozonolysis.