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Harmonizing aerosol carbon measurements between two conventional thermal/optical analysis methods.
- Source :
-
Environmental science & technology [Environ Sci Technol] 2011 Apr 01; Vol. 45 (7), pp. 2902-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 Mar 02. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- Although total carbon (TC) can be consistently quantified by various aerosol carbon measurement methods, the demarcation of TC into organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) has long been inconsistent. The NIOSH and IMPROVE protocols are most widely used for thermal/optical analysis (TOA), but current knowledge rests in the description that the NIOSH protocol usually gives lower EC values than does the IMPROVE protocol. This study seeks to explore the possibility of quantitatively linking the difference between the two TOA protocols. Residential coal-burning samples that had been collected and analyzed following the NIOSH protocol in previous studies were directly reanalyzed following the IMPROVE protocol for this study. A comparison of each pair of NIOSH and IMPROVE EC values reveals the dynamic relation between the two protocols, which can be expressed as a regression equation, y=(1-x)/(1+4.86x2) (R2=0.96), where the independent x is the EC/TC ratio R(EC/TC) for the IMPROVE protocol, and the dependent y is the difference between IMPROVE and NIOSH REC/TC relative to IMPROVE REC/TC. This regression equation may be the first effort in formulating the relationship between the two TOA protocols, and it is very helpful in harmonizing inconsistent TOA measurements, for example, source characterization, ambient monitoring, and atmospheric modeling.
- Subjects :
- Air Pollution statistics & numerical data
Environmental Monitoring instrumentation
Environmental Monitoring standards
Models, Chemical
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.
Remote Sensing Technology
United States
Aerosols analysis
Air Pollutants analysis
Carbon analysis
Environmental Monitoring methods
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1520-5851
- Volume :
- 45
- Issue :
- 7
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Environmental science & technology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 21366219
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1021/es102803f