Secondary organic aerosol formation and source apportionment in Southeast Texas

Aerosols are of central importance for atmospheric chemistry and physics, the biosphere, climate, and public health. The airborne solid and liquid particles in the nanometer to micrometer size range influence the energy balance of the Earth, the hydrological cycle, atmospheric circulation, and the abundance of greenhouse and reactive trace gases. Moreover, they play important roles in the reproduction of biological organisms and can cause or enhance diseases. The primary parameters that determine the environmental and health effects of aerosol particles are their concentration, size, structure, and chemical composition. These parameters, however, are spatially and temporally highly variable. The quantification and identification of biological particles and carbonaceous components of fine particulate matter in the air (organic compounds and black or elemental carbon, respectively) represent demanding analytical challenges. This Review outlines the current state of knowledge, major open questions, and research perspectives on the properties and interactions of atmospheric aerosols and their effects on climate and human health.

According to evidence from our laboratory, acidic surfaces on atmospheric aerosols lead to potentially multifold increases in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass. Experimental observations using a multichannel flow reactor, Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) film bag batch reactors, and outdoor Teflon-film smog chambers strongly confirm that inorganic acids, such as sulfuric acid, catalyze particle-phase heterogeneous reactions of atmospheric organic carbonyl species. The net result is a large increase in SOA mass and stabilized organic layers as particles age. If acid-catalyzed heterogeneous reactions of SOA products are included in current models, the predicted SOA formation will be much greater and could have a much larger impact on climate forcing effects than we now predict.