Atmospheric Aerosols Black and Brown Carbon

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) consists of both primary aerosol, which is emitted in particulate form, and secondary aerosol, which is formed from gaseous species through atmospheric processing. Atmospheric particulate matter and aerosol chemistry are frequently influenced by carbonaceous species, which include both organic and non-organic carbon. The non-organic carbon fraction is predominantly from primary sources, like combustion processes. It is typically known as Elemental Carbon, Black Carbon, Black Smoke, or soot. The terms are not interchangeable, since this fraction is operationally defined (e.g., the term “Black Carbon” refers to its optical and light absorption properties.) Black Carbon is usually measured with an aethalometer which measures the attenuation of light passing through a sample. Historically, Black Smoke measurements were made using light reflectance of a sample. Elemental Carbon is measured using desorption from a sample in heated gas flow, corrected by optical detection of a pyrolyzed sample. This carbon fraction also provides surfaces for scavenging of gas-phase species or heterogeneous reactions with other atmospheric constituents and the internal mixing state of carbonaceous aerosol has been the subject of several studies which has led to the development of measurement techniques like the single particle soot photometer.

The aethalometer model for characterisation of Black Carbon (BC) aerosols developed by Sandradewi et al. (2008) allows assignment of combustion-related aerosols to either fossil fuel sources (vehicles) or biomass burning (typically home heating). It has been used successfully in regions of Continental and Northern Europe, where wood is the dominant solid fuel used for home heating, but in regions where domestic home heating also relies heavily on coal and peat burning, the separation of fossil fuel and biomass burning sources is less straightforward.

This Special Issue will be dedicated to original research and review articles focusing on this fraction of carbonaceous aerosol, through field monitoring or laboratory studies, through established or novel measurement techniques or their applications to air quality networks or atmospheric modelling. Contributions covering the following topics will be welcome:

• Field studies of carbonaceous aerosol in the ambient atmosphere
• Optical properties of carbonaceous aerosol
• Atmospheric measurement techniques for carbonaceous aerosol
• Source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosol based on black and brown carbon measurement
• Emission factors of black carbon
• Modelling studies of black carbon in the atmosphere
• Geospatial and temporal variation (including historic trends) in atmospheric black carbon levels
• Black carbon monitoring networks
• Internal mixing states of black carbon aerosol
• Surface chemistry of black carbon aerosol
• Laboratory analysis of aerosol samples
• Historic Black Smoke measurements and comparison with contemporary methods

Dr. Stig Hellebust
Guest Editor

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• Black Carbon
• Elemental Carbon
• Brown Carbon
• Black Smoke
• Aerosol Optical properties
• Source Apportionment
• Carbonaceous Aerosol
• Air Quality