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How aerosol pH responds to nitrate to sulfate ratio of fine-mode particulate

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Abstract

Aerosol acidity (pH), one of key properties of fine-mode particulate (PM2.5), depends largely on nitrate and sulfate in particle. The mass contribution of nitrate relative to sulfate in PM2.5 has tended to increase in many regions globally, but how this change affects aerosol pH remains in debate. In this way, we measured PM2.5 ionic species and oxygen isotopic composition of nitrate in the eastern China, and predicted aerosol pH using the ISORROPIA-II model. When nitrate to sulfate molar ratio increases and thus PM2.5 is gradually enriched in ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), aerosol pH tends to increase. The oxidation of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by hydroxyl radical is responsible for most of nitrate formation (generally above 60%). These indicate that nitrate formation through gas-to-particle conversion involving ammonia and nitric acid results in increasing aerosol pH with increasing molar ratio of nitrate to sulfate. Conversely, aerosol pH is expected to decrease with increasing relative abundance of nitrate as ammonia emissions are lowered. Our research concludes that it should be considered to reduce aerosol NH4NO3 by reducing the precursors of nitric oxide and ammonia emissions, to substantially improve the air quality (i.e., reduce PM2.5 levels and potential nitrate deposition) in China.

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Funding

This study was kindly supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China through grants 41425014 and 41867017, 41863001.

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Author notes

  1. Yansheng Cao and Zhongyi Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Yansheng Cao, Zhongyi Zhang, Hongwei Xiao, Yajun Xie, Yue Liang & Huayun Xiao

  2. School of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Yansheng Cao, Zhongyi Zhang, Hongwei Xiao, Yajun Xie, Yue Liang & Huayun Xiao

Authors
  1. Yansheng Cao
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  2. Zhongyi Zhang
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  3. Hongwei Xiao
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  4. Yajun Xie
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  5. Yue Liang
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Correspondence to Huayun Xiao.

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Cao, Y., Zhang, Z., Xiao, H. et al. How aerosol pH responds to nitrate to sulfate ratio of fine-mode particulate. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 35031–35039 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09810-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09810-0

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