Mass spectral characterization of secondary organic aerosol from urban cooking and vehicular sources

In the present work, we conducted experiments of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from urban cooking and vehicular sources to characterize the mass spectral features of primary organic aerosol (POA) and SOA using an high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). Our results showed that the cooking styles have a greater impact on aged COA (cooking organic aerosol) mass spectra than oxidation conditions. However, the oxidation conditions affect the aged HOA (hydrocarbon-like OA) spectra more significantly than vehicle operating conditions. In our study, we use mass spectra similarity analysis and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis to establish the POA and SOA mass spectra of these two sources. These mass spectra are used as source constraints in a multilinear engine (ME-2) model to apportion the OA (organic aerosol) sources in the atmosphere. Compared with the traditional ambient PMF results, the improved ME-2 model can better quantify the contribution of POA and SOA from cooking and vehicular sources. Our work, for the first time, establishes the vehicle and cooking SOA source profiles, and can be further used in the OA source apportionment in the ambient atmosphere.

Automated summary

The study conducted experiments on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from urban cooking and vehicular sources using a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer. Results showed that cooking styles had a greater impact on aged COA mass spectra than oxidation conditions, while oxidation conditions significantly affected aged HOA spectra more than vehicle operating conditions. Mass spectra similarity analysis and positive matrix factorization were used to establish the POA and SOA mass spectra of these sources, and the improved ME-2 model better quantified the contribution of POA and SOA from cooking and vehicular sources compared to traditional ambient PMF results. This work established the vehicle and cooking SOA source profiles for the first time and can be further used in OA source apportionment in the ambient atmosphere.