Real-time chemical characterization of single ambient particles at a port city in Chinese domestic emission control area - Impacts of ship emissions on urban air quality.

The domestic emission control area (DECA) policy has been implemented in China since 2017. However, its impact on ship emissions and in turn urban air quality is still unclear. In this study, real-time single particle measurements were carried out at a site in urban Guangzhou, about 1 km downwind of Huangpu Port, the largest maritime transport hub in southern China, in the summer of 2020 using a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS). During the campaign, the hourly averaged number fraction of ship emitted particles, using vanadium as a chemical indicator, varied from 0 to 14% with an average of 2 ± 1%. Ship emitted single particles contain organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), metals, sulfate and nitrate. More than 95% of ship emitted particles were sulfate-containing particles and the relative peak areas (RPAs) of sulfate and vanadium in the hourly average mass spectra of ship emitted particles were highly correlated (R2 = 0.85), suggesting the potential contribution of ship emissions to sulfate production in coastal cities. The relative abundance of OC and EC-related components in ship emitted particles varied and it was likely attributed to the different blending fluids used in the production of low sulfur fuels. The results from this study provide evidence for evaluating the effectiveness of the current regulations and guidance for future policy-making regarding the low sulfur fuel quality regulation and multiple-component control strategies.

Real time analysis of lead-containing atmospheric particles in Beijing during springtime by single particle aerosol mass spectrometry.

Using a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS), the chemical composition and size distributions of lead (Pb)-containing particles with diameter from 0.1 µm to 2.0 µm in Beijing were analyzed in the spring of 2011 during clear, hazy, and dusty days. Based on mass spectral features of particles, cluster analysis was applied to Pb-containing particles, and six major classes were acquired consisting of K-rich, carboneous, Fe-rich, dust, Pb-rich, and Cl-rich particles. Pb-containing particles accounted for 4.2-5.3%, 21.8-22.7%, and 3.2% of total particle number during clear, hazy and dusty days, respectively. K-rich particles are a major contribution to Pb-containing particles, varying from 30.8% to 82.1% of total number of Pb-containing particles, lowest during dusty days and highest during hazy days. The results reflect that the chemical composition and amount of Pb-containing particles has been affected by meteorological conditions as well as the emissions of natural and anthropogenic sources. K-rich particles and carbonaceous particles could be mainly assigned to the emissions of coal combustion. Other classes of Pb-containing particles may be associated with metallurgical processes, coal combustion, dust, and waste incineration etc. In addition, Pb-containing particles during dusty days were first time studied by SPAMS. This method could provide a powerful tool for monitoring and controlling of Pb pollution in real time.

A homemade high-resolution orthogonal-injection time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a heated capillary inlet.

We describe a homemade high-resolution orthogonal-injection time-of-flight (O-TOF) mass spectrometer combing a heated capillary inlet. The O-TOF uses a heated capillary tube combined with a radio-frequency only quadrupole (rf-only quadrupole) as an interface to help the ion transmission from the atmospheric pressure to the low-pressure regions. The principle, configuration of the O-TOF, and the performance of the instrument are introduced in this paper. With electrospray ion source, the performances of the mass resolution, the sensitivity, the mass range, and the mass accuracy are described. We also include our results obtained by coupling atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser deporption ionization with this instrument.

Combining capillary with radio-frequency-only quadrupole as an interface for a home-made time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

A heated capillary tube combined with a radio-frequency-only quadrupole has been coupled with a home- made, high-resolution orthogonal-injection, time-of-flight mass spectrometer to improve ion transmission from the atmospheric pressure to the low--pressure regions. With an electrospray ion source, the performance of the interface on the intensity of spectra was investigated. For electrospray ionization, the ion intensity detected on the time-of- flight mass spectrometer was seen to increase three-fold compared with an orifice interface. It has been shown that the enhanced ion inlet designs can not only increase the ion translation efficiency, but also improve the detection limits of the mass spectrometer. Coupling atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization with the improved interface resulted in an instrument detection limit as low as 2.5 fmol.