Real time analysis of lead-containing atmospheric particles in Beijing during springtime by single particle aerosol mass spectrometry

Hollow Cathode Discharge Ionization Mass Spectrometry: Detection, Quantification and Gas Phase Ion-Molecule Reactions of Explosives and Related Compounds

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become an essential analytical method in every sector of science and technology. Because of its unique ability to provide direct molecular structure information on analytes, an extra method is rarely required. This review describes fabrication of a variable-pressure hollow cathode discharge (HCD) ion source for MS in detection, quantification and investigation of gas-phase ion molecule reactions of explosives and related compounds using air as a carrier gas. The HCD ion source has been designed in such a way that by altering the ion source pressures, the system can generate both HCD and conventional GD. This design enables for the selective detection and quantification of explosives at trace to ultra-trace levels. The pressure-dependent HCD ion source has also been used to investigate ion-molecule reactions in the gas phase of explosives and related compounds. The mechanism of ion formation in explosive reactions is also discussed.

Characterization of Fe-containing particles in Chengdu, southwest China, using single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry

Single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry was used to study the characteristics of Fe-containing particles during winter in Chengdu, southwest China. The mass concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 during the study period were 64 ± 38 and 89 ± 49 µg/m3, respectively, and NO2 and particulate matter were high compared with most other regions of China. The Fe-containing particles were divided into seven categories with different mass spectra, sources and aging characteristics. The highest contribution was from Fe mixed with carbonaceous components (Fe-C, 23.1%) particles. Fe was more mixed with sulfate than nitrate and therefore the contribution of Fe mixed with sulfate (Fe-S, 20.7%) particles was higher than that of Fe mixed with nitrate (Fe-N, 12.5%) particles. The contributions from Fe-containing particles related to primary combustion were high in the small particle size range, whereas aged Fe-containing particles and dust-related particles were mostly found in the coarse particle size range. The air masses mainly originated from the west and east of Chengdu, and the corresponding PM2.5 concentrations were 79 ± 36 and 55 ± 36 µg/m3, respectively. The west and east air masses showed stronger contributions of Fe-containing particles related to biomass burning (Fe-B) and fossil fuel combustion (Fe-C and Fe-S) particles, respectively. The southwest area contributed the most Fe-containing particles. Future assessments of the effects of Fe-containing particles during heavy pollution period should pay more attention to Fe-C and Fe-S particles. Emission-reduction of Fe-containing particles should consider both local emissions and short-distance transmission from the surrounding areas.

Online Sequential Determination of Organic/Inorganic Lead Speciation in PM2.5 Using Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry

The information regarding the occurrence and abundance of lead (Pb) in PM2.5 is useful for the evaluation of air pollution status and tracing the pollution source. Herein, electrochemical mass spectrometry (EC-MS) for sequential determination of Pb species in PM2.5 samples without sample pretreatment has been developed using the combination of online sequential extraction with mass spectrometry (MS) detection. Four kinds of Pb species including water-soluble Pb compounds, fat-soluble Pb compounds, water/fat-insoluble Pb compounds, and a water/fat-insoluble Pb element were sequentially extracted from PM2.5 samples, in which water-soluble Pb compounds, fat-soluble Pb compounds, and water/fat-insoluble Pb compounds were extracted sequentially by elution using H₂O, CH₃OH, and EDTA-2Na as the eluent respectively, while the water/fat-insoluble Pb element was extracted by electrolysis using EDTA-2Na as the electrolyte. The extracted water-soluble Pb compounds, water/fat-insoluble Pb compounds, and water/fat-insoluble Pb element were transformed into EDTA-Pb in real time for online electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis, while the extracted fat-soluble Pb compounds were directly detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The advantages of the reported method include the obviation of sample pretreatment, high speed of analysis (<60 min/sample), low detection limit (0.16 pg), low sample consumption (30 μg), and high accuracy (>90%), which indicates the potential of this method for the rapid quantitative species detection of metals in environmental particulate matter samples.

Impact of reduced anthropogenic emissions on chemical characteristics of urban aerosol by individual particle analysis

A single particle aerosol mass spectrometer was deployed in a heavily polluted area of China during a coronavirus lockdown to explore the impact of reduced anthropogenic emissions on the chemical composition, size distributions, mixing state, and secondary formation of urban aerosols. Ten particle groups were identified using an adaptive resonance network algorithm. Increased atmospheric oxidation during the lockdown period (LP) resulted in a 42.2%-54% increase in the major NaK-SN particle fraction relative to the normal period (NP). In contrast, EC-aged particles decreased from 31.5% (NP) to 23.7% (LP), possibly due to lower emissions from motor vehicles and coal combustion. The peak particle size diameter increased from 440 nm during the NP to 500 nm during LP due to secondary particle formation. High proportions of mixed ⁶²NO₃^- indicate extensive particle aging. Correlations between secondary organic (⁴³C₂H₃O⁺, oxalate) and secondary inorganic species (⁶²NO₃^-, ⁹⁷HSO₄^- and ¹⁸NH₄⁺) versus oxidants (O_x = O₃ + NO₂) and relative humidity (RH) indicate that increased atmospheric oxidation promoted the generation of secondary species, while the effects of RH were more complex. Differences between the NP and LP show that reductions in primary emissions had a remarkable impact on the aerosol particles. This study provides new insights into the effects of pollution emissions on atmospheric reactions and the specific aerosol types in urban regions.

An overlooked source of nanosized lead particles in the atmosphere: Residential honeycomb briquette combustion

Atmospheric lead (Pb) pollution has attracted long-term and widespread concerns due to its high toxicity. The definite source identification of atmospheric Pb is the key step to mitigate this pollution. Here, we first report an overlooked source of atmospheric nanosized Pb particles using transmission electron microscopy and bulk sample analyses, finding that residential honeycomb briquette combustion emits large numbers of nanosized Pb-rich particles. We found that 33.7 ± 19.9 % of primary particles by number from residential honeycomb briquette combustion contains the crystalline Pb particles. These Pb-rich particles range in size from 14 to 956 nm with a mean diameter of 117 nm. Compared with raw coal chunks, honeycomb briquette combustion could emit less carbonaceous particles, but largely increase nanosized Pb particle emissions. This result is attributed to two key factors: (1) higher Pb content in honeycomb briquette (63.6 μg g^-1) than that in coal chunk (8.5 μg g^-1), and (2) higher Pb release rate for honeycomb briquette (62.3 %) caused by honeycomb structure than that for coal chunk (20.1 %). This study highlights that atmospheric and health implications of high emissions of toxic nanosized Pb from honeycomb briquette should be paid more attention in future research on ambient and indoor airs.

Atmospheric lead pollution in a typical megacity: Evidence from lead isotopes

Atmospheric lead (Pb) pollution has adverse health effects on humans, while the sources and atmospheric process of Pb are key scientific problems. In this study, the concentrations and isotopic composition of Pb in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), coal and street dust samples collected from a typical megacity Beijing were analyzed to identify the sources of atmospheric Pb. Results showed that the Pb concentrations in PM_2.5 were high in winter (168.1 ± 32.0 ng/m³) and low in summer (27.7 ± 9.1 ng/m³), whereas Pb isotopic values presented opposite variation trends. The abnormally elevated Pb concentrations in winter were probably related to coal combustion, while declined Pb concentration in summer may be attributed to favorable meteorological parameters such as high temperature, high wind speed, and frequent rain events. Pb isotopic ratios indicated that anthropogenic sources (coal combustion and vehicle exhaust) and natural sources were the main contributors to Pb in PM_2.5. Combined with the binary model, the anthropogenic sources predominantly contributed to Pb in the Beijing atmosphere by approximately 85% annually, while the natural sources accounted for the rest of 15%. More specifically, the contribution of natural sources was about 9.4% in spring, 29.7% in summer, 16.0% in autumn and 6.1% in winter, suggesting that natural sources might contribute more lead into the atmosphere during clear days. Furthermore, the contribution of the vehicle exhaust to atmospheric Pb was nonnegligible in megacity, highlighting that the ownership of motor vehicles in megacity should be regulated and more efforts should be paid to strengthen vehicle emission standard. This study may enrich the reservoir of Pb isotopic composition in nature and provides a new method to investigate the Pb migration and transformation in the environment, and also serve as a theoretical reference for pollution control measures.

Review of online source apportionment research based on observation for ambient particulate matter

Particulate matter source apportionment (SA) is the basis and premise for preventing and controlling haze pollution scientifically and effectively. Traditional offline SA methods lack the capability of handling the rapid changing pollution sources during heavy air pollution periods. With the development of multiple online observation techniques, online SA of particulate matter can now be realized with high temporal resolution, stable and reliable continuous observation data on particle compositions. Here, we start with a summary of online measuring instruments for monitoring particulate matters that contains both online mass concentration (online MC) measurement, and online mass spectrometric (online MS) techniques. The former technique collects ambient particulate matter onto filter membrane and measures the concentrations of chemical components in the particulate matter subsequently. The latter technique could be further divided into two categories: bulk measurement and single particle measurement. Aerosol Mass Spectrometers (AMS) could provide mass spectral information of chemical components of non-refractory aerosols, especially organic aerosols. While the emergence of single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS) technology can provide large number of high time resolution data for online source resolution. This is closely followed by an overview of the methods and results of SA. However, online instruments are still facing challenges, such as abnormal or missing measurements, that could impact the accuracy of online dataset. Machine leaning algorithm are suited for processing the large amount of online observation data, which could be further considered. In addition, the key research challenges and future directions are presented including the integration of online dataset from different online instruments, the ensemble-trained source apportionment approach, and the quantification of source-category-specific human health risk based on online instrumentation and SA methods.

Online detection of halogen atoms in atmospheric VOCs by the LIBS-SPAMS technique

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the major pollutants in the atmospheric and indoor environment. The direct detection of halogen atoms in VOCs via laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is highly challenging work because of the high ionization energy of these halogen elements. In this paper, the LIBS system combined with a self-designed single particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) system were applied to the direct online detection of VOCs in the atmosphere. The experimental parameters of LIBS experiment were optimized in the measurement of ambient air. Under the best experimental conditions, the characteristic peaks of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, as well as argon, were observed in the LIBS spectra of air. Then, LIBS and SPAMS measurements were performed on Halon 2402, Freon R11 and iodomethane samples under the atmospheric pressure. The characteristic spectral lines of fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine were observed and recorded in LIBS spectra. The SPAMS measurements also provide the elemental compositional information of individual VOCs aerosol particles in real time, which is an effective supplement to LIBS analysis. In addition, the different isotopes of bromine and chlorine can be clearly distinguished at the same time. Finally, the home-built portable Raman spectrometer was utilized to analyze the vibrational modes and get the "spectral fingerprint" of VOCs. All the results indicate that the direct online detection performed by the LIBS and SPAMS techniques could provide elemental and isotopic information of halogen atoms in atmospheric VOCs.

The in situ detection of smoking in public area by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

The cigarette smoke in public area could be harmful to the non-smokers. In this paper, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is applied to the in situ detection of the cigarette smoke in public area, and the single particles aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS) is utilized to aid the elemental analysis as well as realize the isotope detection. According to the obtained emission spectra, the smoke consists of Mg, Ca, Sr, Na, K elements which are absent in air, and the concentrations of H₂O and CO₂ in smoke increase obviously. Moreover, the cigarette ash after burning is taken as the sample for off-line detection and several heavy metal elements are detected. The comparison between the spectra of cigarette smoke and ash shows that these two kinds of detection are greatly different in terms of constituent and plasma status. In addition, the molecular emission of Carbon-Nitrogen was observed in smoke spectrum, and the molecular vibrational and rotational temperature of CN molecule was calculated. Finally, the LIBS and SPAMS were applied to the semi-quantitative detection and isotope analysis of Pb in the smoke.

Does atmospheric processing produce toxic Pb-containing compounds? A case study in suburban Beijing by single particle mass spectrometry

A single particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) was deployed to investigate the mixing state and chemical processing of Pb-rich particles in suburban Beijing. Based on a large dataset of mass spectra, Pb-rich particles were classified into Pb-O-Cl-N-S (55%), Pb-N (17%), Pb-N-S (15%), and Pb-EC (7%). Residual coal combustion, industrial activities, and meteorological conditions were identified as main factors regulating the variations of Pb-rich particles in the atmosphere. The highest abundance of the Pb-rich particles was observed during heating period (HP) primarily due to the increase in coal usage. Pb in Pb-O-Cl-N-S type was identified in forms of PbO, PbCl_2, and Pb(NO₃)₂. Dominantly presented in the form of Pb(NO₃)₂, Pb-N type represented the completely transformed Pb-rich particles from PbO/PbCl₂ by atmospheric processes. It is found that PbCl₂ and PbO could be transformed to Pb(NO₃)₂, highly dependent on the amount of NO₂ and RH. Significant enhancement of nitrate in Pb-O-Cl-N-S particles was observed when the RH was greater than 60%, emphasizing the importance of heterogeneous hydrolysis of N₂O₅ on the formation of Pb(NO₃)_2. Compared with non-carcinogenic PbCl₂/PbO and insoluble PbO, soluble and carcinogenic Pb(NO₃)₂ produced by atmospheric processes may significantly enhance negative effects of Pb-rich particles on human health and the ecosystem.

Assessment of 12 Metals and Metalloids in Blood of General Populations Living in Wuhan of China by ICP-MS

Assessment of trace element levels in general population from the specific area is of importance for nutritional and occupational monitoring. In the current study, baseline blood levels of 12 toxic and/or essential metals and metalloids, including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), thallium (Tl), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and magnesium (Mg), in general populations (n = 477) of Wuhan in central China were investigated by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The geometric means for As, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, Tl, Mn, and Cu were measured as 2.25, 0.70, 17.84, 1.90, 0.36, < 0.05, 12.40, and 783.76 μg/L, respectively. The geometric means for Zn, Ca, Fe, and Mg were 5.85, 56.66, 488.98, and 39.44 mg/L, respectively. We found the men had higher blood As, Pb, Hg, Zn, Fe, and Mg levels but had lower blood Cu and Ca levels than the women (p < 0.05). Age-related difference were found for blood Cu, Zn, Ca, Mg, Pb, Mn, As, Cd, and Hg levels (p < 0.05). Moreover, many metal concentrations were found correlated, with the strongest correlations between the pairs Fe-Mg (r = 0.57), Fe-Zn (r = 0.42), As-Hg (r = 0.46), Ca-Cu (r = 0.34), Pb-Hg (r = 0.36), Pb-Cd (r = 0.31), Pb-As (r = 0.25), and Ca-Fe (r = - 0.23). Compared with reports from other countries, most of our results were consistent, except that As Pb, Hg, Mn, and Cu showed different blood levels with European, Korea, or Beijing areas. Our study would be of importance for nutritional, environmental, and/or occupational monitoring of these metals in human.

Characterization of lead-containing atmospheric particles in a typical basin city of China: Seasonal variations, potential source areas, and responses to fireworks

Lead (Pb) in individual aerosol particles was measured using a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer at an urban site in Chengdu, a typical basin city of China, for four one-month periods in 2016-2017 - one period for each season. The highest mass concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and gaseous species (CO, NO, NO₂, and SO₂) were observed in winter. Cluster analysis was applied to Pb-containing particles, and eight major classes were identified based on mass spectral features. The contribution of these classes to the total Pb-containing particles varied seasonally - for example, Pb-nitrate (PbNO₃) particles showed a higher contribution in spring and winter (47%), while Pb-sulfate (PbSO₄) particles exhibited a higher contribution in summer and autumn (14%-19%). The size range of particles also changed with seasons as a result of different sources and formation mechanisms under different climatic conditions. A weighted potential source contribution function (WPSCF) analysis suggested that the potential source areas of Pb-containing particles were mainly located to the northeast, east, southeast, and south of Chengdu, and their contribution intensity and coverage area significantly varied in the four seasons. Although almost all pollutants decreased during the Spring Festival holiday (SF) period, fireworks caused the most serious PM and SO₂ pollution episodes during the whole study period. During the SF period, the contributions of industrial and traffic-related particles (Pb-organic + elemental carbon (PbOE) and PbNO₃ particles) decreased, whereas those of Pb-chloride (PbCl), Pb-metal (PbM), and Pb-sulfate + nitrate (PbSN) particles increased due to fireworks. Results from this study may provide valuable information for a deeper understanding of Pb in particles and evaluation its impacts on atmospheric environment and human health.

Characteristics of single atmospheric particles in a heavily polluted urban area of China: size distributions and mixing states

To investigate the chemical composition, size distribution, and mixing state of aerosol particles on heavy pollution days, single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry was conducted during 9-26 October 2015 in Xi'an, China. The measured particles were classified into six major categories: biomass burning (BB) particles, K-secondary particles, elemental carbon (EC)-related particles, metal-containing particles, dust, and organic carbon (OC) particles. BB and EC-related particles were the dominant types during the study period and mainly originated from biomass burning, vehicle emissions, and coal combustion. According to the ambient air quality index, two typical episodes were defined: clean days (CDs) and polluted days (PDs). Accumulation of BB particles and EC-related particles was the main reason for the pollution in Xi'an. Most types of particle size were larger on PDs than CDs. Each particle type was mixed with secondary species to different degrees on CDs and PDs, indicating that atmospheric aging occurred. The mixing state results demonstrated that the primary tracers were oxidized or vanished and that the amount of secondary species was increased on PDs. This study provides valuable information and a dataset to help control air pollution in the urban areas of Xi'an. Graphical abstract.

Real time analysis of lead-containing atmospheric particles in Guangzhou during wintertime using single particle aerosol mass spectrometry

The toxic effects of lead on human health and the environment have long been a focus of research. To explore sources of lead in Guangzhou, China, we investigated atmospheric lead-containing particles (LCPs) during wintertime using a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS). Based on mass spectral features, LCPs were classified into eight major particle types, including Pb-Cl and Pb-Cl-Li (coal combustion and waste incineration), Pb-Cl-EC and Pb-Cl-OC (diesel trucks and coal combustion), Pb-Cl-Fe (iron and steel industry), Pb-Cl-AlSi (dust), Pb-Sec (secondary formation), and Pb-Cl-Zn (industrial process); these sources (in parentheses) were identified by comparing atmospheric LCP mass spectra with authentic Pb emission source mass spectra. Sampling periods with LCP number fractions (NFs) more than three times the average LCP NF (APF = 4.35%) and below the APF were defined as high LCP NF periods (HLFPs: H1, H3, and H5) and low LCP NF APF periods (LLFPs: L2 and L4), respectively. Diurnal patterns and high Pb-Sec content during LLFPs indicate that photochemical activity and heterogeneous reactions may have controlled Pb-Sec particle formation. The inverse Pb-Cl and Pb-Sec particle diurnal trends during LLFPs suggest the replacement of Cl by sulfate and nitrate. On average over the five periods, ~ 76% of the LCPs likely arose from coal combustion and/or waste incineration, which were dominant sources during all five periods, followed by diesel trucks during LLFPs and iron- and steel-related sources during HLFPs; HLFP LCPs arose mainly from primary emissions. These results can be used to more efficiently control Pb emission sources and prevent harm to human and environmental health from Pb toxicity.

Characterization of lead-containing aerosol particles in Xiamen during and after Spring Festival by single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry

To comparatively analyze lead (Pb)-containing particles during and after the Chinese Spring Festival (SF), real-time single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) was conducted in Xiamen during February 9-19 and March 4-14, 2013. Pb-containing particles were found in 2.4% and 5.3% of the total particle numbers during and after SF, respectively. Based on the SPAMS mass spectral results, the Pb-containing particles were classified into three major types and 11 subtypes: Pb-rich particles comprising Pb-nitrate, Pb-sulfate and Pb-chloride; K-rich particles comprising K-nitrate, K-sulfate, K-metal, K-carbonaceous, K-phosphate, and K-chloride; and metal particles including Fe-rich and Mn-nitrate particles. During SF, lower contributions of Pb-containing particles were due to the effect of the SF holiday. Firework emissions contributed little to the Pb-containing particles. K-rich particles were a major contribution to Pb-containing particles during SF, accounting for approximately 70% of the total number of Pb-containing particles. After SF, significantly increased Pb-containing particles were observed, coincided with NO₂ and SO₂, due to increased industrial activities and other anthropogenic activities, and Pb-rich particles increased to approximately 50.3% of the total number of Pb-containing particles. Local industrial emissions and the stagnant meteorological conditions resulted in the higher concentrations of Pb-containing particles in the early morning after SF, especially Pb-nitrate particles. This study provides data on the in-situ monitoring of Pb emissions during and after SF and could be helpful for the mitigation of Pb pollution.