Abstract
Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) represents a large fraction of atmospheric aerosol particles that significantly affect both the Earth's climate and human health. Laboratory-generated SOA or ambient particles are routinely collected on filters for a detailed chemical analysis. Such filter sampling is prone to artifactual changes in composition during collection, storage, sample workup, and analysis. In this study, we investigate the chemical composition differences in SOA generated in the laboratory, kept at room temperature as aqueous extracts or on filters, and analyzed in detail after a storage time of a day and up to 4 weeks using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. We observe significantly different temporal concentration changes for monomers and oligomers in both extracts and on filters. In SOA aqueous extracts, many monomers increase in concentration over time, while many dimers decay at the same time. In contrast, on filters, we observe a strong and persistent concentration increase of many dimers and a decrease of many monomers. This study highlights artifacts arising from SOA chemistry occurring during storage, which should be considered when detailed organic aerosol compositions are studied. The particle-phase reactions on filters can also serve as a model system for atmospheric particle aging processes.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
