Studies of Optical and Chemical Properties of Biomass Burning Aerosols

该项目涉及实验室研究，以评估生物质燃烧产生的大气小颗粒的化学成分和光学特性。研究人员将重点放在东非常见的生物质资源上，包括桉树、香蕉树、金合欢和动物粪便。他们正在建造一个室内烟雾室，该室将直接连接到一个燃烧器的输出，该燃烧器将用于产生生物质气溶胶。该项目将有助于更好地了解发展中国家普遍使用生物质烹饪和燃烧所产生的污染物。该项目结合了空腔衰荡光谱（CRDS）、浊度测定法和扫描迁移率粒度仪（SMPS）来测量气溶胶在宽波长范围内的光学特性，以确定吸收截面作为波长的函数。光学性质也被测量为组成和大气老化程度的函数，因为室的设计是为了添加相关有机化合物和氮氧化物的额外气体来制备混合物，以模拟气溶胶的大气老化。超高效液相色谱（UPLC）与二极管阵列检测器（DAD）和配备电喷雾电离源的高分辨率四极杆飞行时间质谱联用，用于对室内实验中产生的气溶胶样品进行化学表征。

This project involves laboratory studies to assess the chemical composition and optical properties of small atmospheric particles created from biomass burning. The investigators are focusing on common East African biomass sources including eucalyptus, banana trees, acacia, and animal dung. They are building an indoor smog chamber that will be connected directly to the output of a burner that will be used to generate biomass aerosols. This project will lead to a better understanding of pollutants generated from the common use of biomass for cooking and burning in developing countries.The project is using a combination of Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CRDS), nephelometry and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) to measure aerosol optical properties at a wide range of wavelengths to determine absorption cross sections as a function of wavelength. Optical properties are also being measured as a function of composition and degree of atmospheric aging as the chamber is designed so that additional gases of relevant organic compounds and nitrogen oxides can be added to prepare mixtures to simulate atmospheric aging of the aerosols. Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) coupled in-line to both a Diode Array Detector (DAD) and high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source is being used to chemically characterize aerosol samples produced in the chamber experiments.