Seasonal and Day–Night Variations in Carbonaceous Aerosols and Their Light-Absorbing Properties in Guangzhou, China

Abstract

Carbonaceous aerosols (CAs), including elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC), have become the dominant component in PM2.5 in many Chinese cities, and it is imperative to address their spatiotemporal variations and sources in order to continually improve air quality. In this study, the mass concentrations and light absorption properties of EC and OC in PM2.5 were investigated at diverse sites in Guangzhou, in the winter of 2020 and the autumn of 2021, using the DRI Model 2015 thermal–optical carbon analyzer. The results showed that total EC and organic matter (OM = OC × 1.8) could account for nearly 30% of the PM2.5 mass concentrations. Secondary production was the most important source for OC, with secondary OC (SOC) percentages in the OC as high as 72.8 ± 7.0% in autumn and 68.4 ± 13.1% in winter. Compared to those in 2015, OC and EC concentrations were reduced by 25.4% and 73.4% in 2021, highlighting the effectiveness of control measures in recent years. The absorption coefficient of brown carbon at 405 nm (babs,BrC,405) decreased by over 40%, and the mass absorption coefficient (MAC) at 405 nm of total carbon (TC) decreased by over 30%. EC and OC concentrations and the light absorption of black carbon (babs,BC,405) showed no significant diurnal differences in both autumn and winter mainly because the reduction in anthropogenic emissions at night was compensated by the lowering of the boundary layer. Differentially, babs,BrC,405 was significantly lower during daytime than at night in autumn, probably due to the daytime photobleaching effect. The sources of EC, OC, BC, and BrC were preliminarily diagnosed by their correlation with typical source markers. In autumn, babs,BrC,405 might be related to biomass burning and coal combustion, while babs,BC,405 were largely related to vehicle emissions and coal combustion. In winter, babs,BrC,405 was closely related to coal combustion.