4.8 Article

Source and Chemistry of Hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS) in Fairbanks, Alaska

Journal

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Volume 56, Issue 12, Pages 7657-7667

Publisher

AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00410

Keywords

hydroxymethanesulfonate; aerosol liquid water content; particulate pollution; online measurements; temperature inversions; particle-into-liquid sampler; ion chromatography

Funding

  1. NSF Atmospheric Geoscience Program [AGS.2029747, AGS.2029730]
  2. NSF Navigating the New Arctic Program [ICER.1927750, ICER.1927778]
  3. European Research Council (ERC) [726165]
  4. Horizon 2020 project FORCeS [821205]
  5. NASA CAMP2Ex [80NSSC18K0557]
  6. NASA Tropospheric Composition Program
  7. NSF Atmospheric Chemistry Program [2029770]
  8. Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
  9. Directorate For Geosciences [2029770] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
  10. Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
  11. Directorate For Geosciences [2029747, 2029730] Funding Source: National Science Foundation

Ask authors/readers for more resources

Fairbanks, Alaska experiences poor air quality in winter due to atmospheric inversions, local emissions, and unique chemistry caused by cold and dark conditions. This study focuses on the high concentrations of fine particle hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS) and its links to inorganic sulfate and organic mass in pollution episodes, highlighting the formation of air pollution in cold and humid atmospheres.
Fairbanks, Alaska, is a subarctic city with fine particle (PM2.5) concentrations that exceed air quality regulations in winter due to weak dispersion caused by strong atmospheric inversions, local emissions, and the unique chemistry occurring under the cold and dark conditions. Here, we report on observations from the winters of 2020 and 2021, motivated by our pilot study that showed exceptionally high concentrations of fine particle hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS) or related sulfur-(IV) species (e.g., sulfite and bisulfite). We deployed online particle-into-liquid sampler-ion chromatography (PILS-IC) in conjunction with a suite of instruments to determine HMS precursors (HCHO, SO2) and aerosol composition in general, with the goal to characterize the sources and sinks of HMS in wintertime Fairbanks. PM2.5 HMS comprised a significant fraction of PM2.5 sulfur (26-41%) and overall PM2.5 mass concentration of 2.8-6.8% during pollution episodes, substantially higher than what has been observed in other regions, likely due to the exceptionally low temperatures. HMS peaked in January, with lower concentrations in December and February, resulting from changes in precursors and meteorological conditions. Strong correlations with inorganic sulfate and organic mass during pollution events suggest that HMS is linked to processes responsible for poor air quality episodes. These findings demonstrate unique aspects of air pollution formation in cold and humid atmospheres.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.8
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available