Effect of mineral dust on secondary organic aerosol yield and aerosol size in α-pinene/NOx photo-oxidation

Abstract

Although it is a significant contributor to atmospheric particles, the role of mineral dust in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation has not been fully recognized. In this study, alumina was chosen as the surrogate to investigate the effect of mineral dust on α-pinene/NOx photo-oxidation in a 2 m3 smog chamber at 30 °C and 50% relative humidity (RH). Results showed that alumina seeds could influence both the SOA yield and the aerosol size in the photo-oxidation process. Compared to the seed-free system, the presence of alumina seeds resulted in a slight reduction of SOA yield, and also influenced the final concentration of O3 in the chamber. As an important oxidant of α-pinene, the decrease in O3 concentration could reduce the formation of semi-volatile compounds (SVOCs) and consequently inhibited SOA formation. In addition, the size of aerosol was closely related with the mass loading of alumina seeds. At low alumina concentration, SVOCs condensed onto the pre-existing seed surface and led to aerosol size growth. When alumina concentration exceeded about 5 μg m−3, SVOC species that condensed to each seed particle were dispersed by alumina seeds, resulting in the decrease in aerosol size.