Long-term brown carbon spectral characteristics in a Mediterranean city (Athens)

This study analyses 4-years of continuous 7-lambda Aethalometer (AE-33) measurements in an urban-background environment of Athens, to resolve the spectral absorption coefficients (b(abs)) for black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC). An important BrC contribution (23.7 +/- 11.6%) to the total b(abs) at 370 nm is estimated for the period May 2015-April 2019, characterized by a remarkable seasonality with winter maximum (33.5 +/- 13.6%) and summer minimum (18.5 +/- 8.1%), while at longer wavelengths the BrC contribution is significantly reduced (6.8 +/- 3.6% at 660 nm). The wavelength dependence of the total b a b s gives an annual-mean AAE(370-880) of 1.31, with higher values in winter night-time. The BrC absorption and its contribution to b(abs )presents a large increase reaching up to 39.1 +/- 13.6% during winter nights (370 nm), suggesting residential wood burning (RWB) emissions as a dominant source for BrC. This is supported by strong correlations of the BrC absorption with OC, EC, the fragment ion m/z 60 derived from ACSM and PMF-analyzed organic fractions related to biomass burning (e.g. BBOA). In contrast, BrC absorption decreases significantly during daytime as well as in the warm period, reaching to a minimum during the early-afternoon hours in all seasons due to photo-chemical degradation. Estimated secondary BrC absorption is practically evident only during winter night-time, implying the fast oxidation of BrC species from RWB emissions. Changes in mixing-layer height do not significantly affect the BrC absorption in winter, while they play a major role in summer. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.