Polarity-Dependent Chemical Characteristics of Water-Soluble Organic Matter from Laboratory-Generated Biomass-Burning Revealed by 1-Octanol-Water Partitioning

Phase Behavior and Viscosity in Biomass Burning Organic Aerosol and Climatic Impacts

Smoke particles generated by burning biomass consist mainly of organic aerosol termed biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA). BBOA influences the climate by scattering and absorbing solar radiation or acting as nuclei for cloud formation. The viscosity and the phase behavior (i.e., the number and type of phases present in a particle) are properties of BBOA that are expected to impact several climate-relevant processes but remain highly uncertain. We studied the phase behavior of BBOA using fluorescence microscopy and showed that BBOA particles comprise two organic phases (a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic phase) across a wide range of atmospheric relative humidity (RH). We determined the viscosity of the two phases at room temperature using a photobleaching method and showed that the two phases possess different RH-dependent viscosities. The viscosity of the hydrophobic phase is largely independent of the RH from 0 to 95%. We use the Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman equation to extrapolate our results to colder and warmer temperatures, and based on the extrapolation, the hydrophobic phase is predicted to be glassy (viscosity >1012 Pa s) for temperatures less than 230 K and RHs below 95%, with possible implications for heterogeneous reaction kinetics and cloud formation in the atmosphere. Using a kinetic multilayer model (KM-GAP), we investigated the effect of two phases on the atmospheric lifetime of brown carbon within BBOA, which is a climate-warming agent. We showed that the presence of two phases can increase the lifetime of brown carbon in the planetary boundary layer and polar regions compared to previous modeling studies. Hence, the presence of two phases can lead to an increase in the predicted warming effect of BBOA on the climate.

Water Solubility Distribution of Organic Matter Accounts for the Discrepancy in Hygroscopicity among Sub- and Supersaturated Humidity Regimes

Water uptake properties of organic matter (OM) are critical for aerosol direct and indirect effects. OM contains various chemical species that have a wide range of water solubility. However, the role of water solubility on water uptake by OM has poorly been investigated. We experimentally retrieved water solubility distributions of water-soluble OM (WSOM) from combustion of mosquito coil and tropical peat using the 1-octanol-water partitioning method. In addition, hygroscopic growth and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity of solubility-segregated WSOM were measured. The dominant fraction of WSOM from mosquito coil smoldering was highly soluble (water solubility (S) > 10^-2 g cm^-3), while that from peat combustion contained ∼40% of less-soluble species (S < 10^-3 g cm^-3). The difference in water solubility distributions induced changes in the roles of less water-soluble fractions (S < 10^-3 g cm^-3) on CCN activity. Namely, the less water-soluble fraction from mosquito coil combustion fully dissolved at the point of critical supersaturation, while that for tropical peat smoldering was limited by water solubility. The present result suggests that water solubility distributions of OM, rather than its bulk chemical property, need to be quantified for understanding the water uptake process.

Mobility of water-soluble aerosol organic matters (WSAOMs) and their effects on soil colloid-mediated transport of heavy metal ions in saturated porous media

Water-soluble aerosol organic matters (WSAOMs) produced by biomass pyrolysis/burning can penetrate subsurface environment, and are anticipated to have a profound effect on the fate of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Herein, WSAOMs derived from corn straw (CS-WSAOMs) and pinewood sawdust (PW-WSAOMs) pyrolysis at 300-900 °C were utilized to investigate their mobility characteristics and impacts on the transport of heavy metal ions (i.e., Cd²⁺) in saturated quartz sand with or without soil colloids. This study clearly demonstrated that WSAOMs in subsurface systems exhibited high mobility, which increased as WSAOMs molecular sizes decreased and hydrogen-bond interactions between WSAOMs and sand grains declined. WSAOMs significantly improved heavy metal (i.e., Cd²⁺) and soil colloid-mediated Cd²⁺ mobility in the porous media, which stemmed from the increased binding affinities of colloids toward metal ions and the high mobility of WSAOMs. Interestingly, in terms of the mobility and colloid-facilitated transport of Cd²⁺, WSAOMs from higher pyrolysis temperatures exhibited enhanced effects; meanwhile, the PW-WSAOMs demonstrated stronger effects than the CS-WSAOMs. The trends were mainly attributed to the differences in the metal-binding affinities (e.g., cation-π interactions) and transport abilities of WSAOMs, as well as diverse Cd²⁺ adsorption capacities of colloids induced by various WSAOMs.

Spectral characteristics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) derived from biomass pyrolysis: Biochar-derived DOC versus smoke-derived DOC, and their differences from natural DOC

Biochar-derived dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) and smoke-derived dissolved organic carbon (SDOC) are two different biomass-pyrogenic DOCs. They inevitably enter soil and water, then potentially pose different impacts on the chemistry of these media. This study systemically investigated the emissions and spectral characteristics of BDOC and SDOC as well as their differences from natural DOC. The results showed that the emission of SDOC was 1-3 orders of magnitude greater than that of BDOC after biomass pyrolysis. UV-vis spectra indicated that BDOC had higher aromaticity and molecular weight as well as lower polarity than SDOC. The two-dimensional correlation infrared spectrum (2D-PCIS) matrix indicated that BDOC contained more chemical groups with stronger temperature-dependence than SDOC. Fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC analysis showed that BDOC was dominated by macromolecular humic-like substances, while SDOC was primarily composed of small molecules of aromatic protein/polyphenols-like compounds. The fluorescence indicators including humification index (HIX) (0.08-0.76) and biological index (BIX) (1.18-1.72) of SDOC were significantly different from those of BDOC (HIX: 1.64-12.68, and BIX: 0.17-1.62). The higher BIX and more small molecules of aromatic protein/polyphenols-like compounds indicated SDOC had potentially higher bioavailability and turnover rate in the environment than BDOC. Furthermore, the UV-vis spectral indicator (S_275-295) and fluorescence spectral indicators (HIX, and BIX) of BDOC were equivalent to those of natural DOC, whereas these indicators of SDOC were significantly different from those of natural DOC. This study demonstrated that BDOC and SDOC had significantly different components and properties and they might present different environmental behaviors and effects.

Dry-deposition of inorganic and organic nitrogen aerosols in Xiamen Bay: Fluxes, sources, and biogeochemical significance

Increased dry deposition of nitrogen aerosols (aerosol-N) as a result of anthropogenic emissions has caused large negative impacts on marine ecosystems. We monitored the number concentrations and sizes of inorganic nitrogen aerosols (aerosol-IN: NH₄⁺ and NO₃^-) and organic nitrogen aerosols (aerosol-ON: methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, and triethylamine) by single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) during the warm season (WS) and cold season (CS) of 2013 and 2015 in Xiamen Bay. The mean hourly number concentration of aerosol-IN (874/h) overwhelmed that of aerosol-ON (103/h), accounting for 83.9 ± 16.1% of aerosol-N. More than 90% of aerosol-N was concentrated in the condensation mode (0.1-0.5 μm) and droplet mode (0.5-2.0 μm). Aerosol-IN was the main contributor (80.1-94.2%) to aerosol-N deposition. New production potentially supported by the ocean's external nitrogen supply provided aerosol-N input of 11.51-11.96 g C m^-2 yr^-1, which contributed 17.5-18.2% of total new production in the southern East China Sea. Four potential sources of aerosol-N were identified based on the results of positive matrix factorization analysis, including secondary formation (F1), biogenic source (F2), sea spray, soil dust, biomass burning (F3), and anthropogenic sources (F4). Aerosol-N concentrations in Xiamen Bay were mainly affected by the ocean air masses during the WS and inland air masses during the CS. The percentages of aerosol-N at each backward trajectory cluster showed that the inland air masses brought more aerosol-IN emitted from biomass burning, soil dust, and secondary formation sources, whereas the ocean air masses brought more aerosol-ON emitted from a marine biogenic source into Xiamen Bay. This study provides an example of determining the number concentrations and sizes of IN and ON in aerosols by SPAMS, and helps us further understand the dry deposition and sources of IN and ON in aerosols in Xiamen Bay.

Molecular Speciation of Size Fractionated Particulate Water-Soluble Organic Carbon by Two-Dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy

Particulate matter is associated with increased morbidity and mortality; its effects depend on particle size and chemical content. It is important to understand the composition and resultant toxicological profile of particulate organic compounds, the largest and most complex fraction of particulate matter. The objective of the study was to delineate the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral fingerprint of the biologically relevant water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) fraction of size fractionated urban aerosol. A combination of one and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy methods was used. The size distribution of particle mass, water-soluble extract, non-exchangeable organic hydrogen functional types and specific biomarkers such as levoglucosan, methane sulfonate, ammonium and saccharides indicated the contribution of fresh and aged wood burning emissions, anthropogenic and biogenic secondary aerosol for fine particles as well as primary traffic exhausts and pollen for large particles. Humic-like macromolecules in the fine particle size range included branched carbon structures containing aromatic, olefinic, keto and nitrile groups and terminal carboxylic and hydroxyl groups such as terpenoid-like polycarboxylic acids and polyols. Our study show that 2D-NMR spectroscopy can be applied to study the chemical composition of size fractionated aerosols.

A preliminary study on humic-like substances in particulate matter in Malaysia influenced by Indonesian peatland fires

In this paper, ambient total suspended particulates (TSP) with a focus on humic-like substances (HULIS) are characterized based on intensive ground-based field samplings collected in Malaysia during non-haze and haze periods caused by peatland fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Furthermore, concentrations of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and carbon content of HULIS (HULIS-C) were determined, and fluorescence spectra of the HULIS samples were recorded by excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy. The concentrations of WSOC and HULIS-C over the entire period ranged from 4.1 to 24 and 1.3 to 18 μgC m^-3, respectively. The concentrations of WSOC and HULIS-C during the peatland fire-induced strong haze periods were over 4.3 and 6.1 times higher, respectively, than the average values recorded during the non-haze periods. Even during the light haze periods, the concentrations of WSOC and HULIS-C were significantly higher than their averages during the non-haze periods. These results indicate that peatland fires induce high concentrations of WSOC, particularly HULIS-C, in ambient TSP at receptor sites. EEM fluorescence spectra identified fulvic-like fluorophores at the highest intensity level in the EEM fluorescence spectra of the haze samples. A peak at excitation/emission (Ex/Em) ≈ (290-330)/(375-425) nm is also observed at high intensity, though this peak is normally associated with marine humic-like fluorophores. It is shown that a peak at Ex/Em ≈ (290-330)/(375-425) nm is not derived from marine sources only; furthermore, peatland fires are shown to be important contributors to HULIS around this peak.

Light-absorbing and fluorescent properties of atmospheric brown carbon: A case study in Nanjing, China

Brown carbon (BrC), a significant wavelength-dependent atmospheric absorber of solar radiation, plays a key role in photochemistry and long-lasting haze episodes. Herein, two types of BrC extracted from one-year PM_2.5 samples (June 2017-May 2018 in Nanjing), i.e. methanol-extracted organic carbon (MSOC) and ultrapure water-extracted organic carbon (WSOC), were obtained to investigate distinct optical properties of atmospheric BrC. The extraction efficiency of BrC was as high as 91% in methanol solution, and the corresponding light absorption coefficient (Abs) of MSOC at 365 nm (Abs_365-MSOC, 7.75 ± 3.95 Mm^-1) was approximately 1.6 times that of WSOC (Abs_365-WSOC, 4.84 ± 2.97 Mm^-1), indicating that the water-insoluble compounds mostly affected the light absorption of BrC. The seasonal variations of Abs_365-WSOC and Abs_365-MSOC were followed the sequence of winter > spring > autumn > summer, due to the dominated emissions from fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning in the cooling seasons. Additionally, four fluorescent chromophores in WSOC and MSOC, containing three humic-like chromophores and one protein-like chromophore, exhibited the highest fluorescent intensities in winter but weakest in summer. The lower humification index (HIX) in MSOC reflects that humic-like chromophores were preferentially water-soluble, in coordination with high degree of photo-oxidation and aromaticity. Fluorescence index (FI) of BrC was also higher in winter because of the effects of photo-bleaching, whereas biological index (BIX) remained stable throughout a year. Considering the correlation between primary organic carbon (POC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC), aside from the contribution of primary emissions, secondary formation has become another major source to atmospheric BrC in Nanjing.

A Significant Portion of Water-Soluble Organic Matter in Fresh Biomass Burning Particles Does Not Contribute to Hygroscopic Growth: An Application of Polarity Segregation by 1-Octanol-Water Partitioning Method

The importance of water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) on the hygroscopic growth of particles is recognized, yet roles of different categories of WSOM are under debate. We segregated WSOM from Indonesian biomass burning particles by the 1-octanol-water partitioning method. The method is based on the 1-octanol-water partition coefficient (K_OW), which correlates with water solubility. The segregated WSOM was analyzed using the humidified tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) and time-of-flight aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ToF-ACSM). Both the hygroscopicity parameter κ and the fractional contribution of m/z 44 (f₄₄), which serves as a metric for degree of oxygenation, increased with polarity. This result experimentally evidenced that highly polar/water-soluble OM is highly hygroscopic/oxygenated. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) identified three factors from the ToF-ACSM data. Deconvolution of κ by PMF factors demonstrated that the less polar fractions, which occupy approximately 20-60% of WSOM dependent on the biomass type, almost do not contribute to water uptake under subsaturated conditions. This result highlights that categorization of WSOM will be needed to understand how hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles is regulated.