Feasibility Study for the Atmospheric Measurement of Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM)

潜在气溶胶质量可以定义为前体气体可以氧化形成的最大气溶胶质量;它可以通过快速将所有可能的前体气体转化为冷凝或半挥发性形式来测量。 它的测量可以作为美国和其他国家空气质量网络中常规的气溶胶质量测量的伴侣。该项目是一项概念验证研究，以确定是否有可能进行气溶胶质量测量，并制定与气溶胶质量测量一致的操作定义和程序。 这有可能为监测网络中是否存在气溶胶前体气体提供一个廉价的指标，在发展中国家，对特定的气溶胶前体气体进行常规测量是不可行的。 监测网络中的这种测量对于确定管制政策和监测管制行动应产生的进展也可能是重要的，这项研究包含一个固有的教学部分，因为它将在大学环境中进行，并将涉及研究生。 一名研究生将参与地球和矿物科学项目的夏季体验，该项目支持来自代表性不足的社会经济群体的学生。 这项工作还涉及与科罗拉多大学博尔德分校和奥尔巴尼大学的研究小组的合作。

Potential aerosol mass can be defined as the maximum aerosol mass that precursor gases can be oxidized to form; it can be measured by rapidly converting all possible precursor gases to forms that condense or are semi-volatile. Its measurement could be a companion to the aerosol mass measurements that are routine in air quality networks in the United States and other countries. This project is a proof-of-concept study to determine if potential aerosol mass measurements are possible, and to develop an operational definition and procedures that are consistent with those for aerosol mass. This has the potential to offer an inexpensive indicator of the presence of aerosol precursor gases in monitoring networks, and in developing countries where measurements of speciated aerosol precursor gases are not feasible on a routine basis. Such measurements in a monitoring network are also potentially important for determining regulatory policy and for monitoring progress that should result from regulatory actions.The research contains an inherent teaching component since it will be conducted in a university environment, and will involve graduate students. One graduate student will be involved as part of the Summer Experience in Earth and Mineral Sciences Program which supports students from under-represented socio-economic groups. The work also involves collaboration with research groups at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Albany.