LocAl and long-Range transported Aerosols types, composition and properties (LARA)

PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-0340, ctr. TE 71/2020

Implementation period: September 2020-August 2022

Objective: To assess the aerosols properties and to quantify their possible sources using a combination of remote sensing and in-situ measurements

The project aims to identify the sources of aerosols in Romania and to characterize them from chemical and optical point of view. This assessment will improve the understanding of atmospheric particles behaviours, including their vertical distribution and will increase the knowledge and data availability regarding aerosols properties and sources in Eastern Europe, mainly the submicronic fraction. Evaluation and quantification of aerosols characteristics are very challenging due to complexity of the particles, generation processes and multiple transformations encountered during air masses transport. In Romania only sparse information is available for the aerosols properties, their chemical components and sources, which are extremely important to evaluate the air quality level and assess essential characteristics influencing climate-relevant parameters.

A multi-instrument approach is necessary in order to fully characterize the aerosols, to evaluate the vertical distribution, the size, shape, concentrations and internal components. During this project complex and state of the art instruments (aerosol chemical speciation monitor, multiwavelength depolarization lidar, aethalometer, nephelometer, etc) from the Remote Sensing department of INOE will be used in synergy to overcome the lack of understanding of the local aerosols properties. A combination of active remote sensing (lidar) and in situ (mass spectrometry) data will enable the characterization of aerosol dynamics and the quantification of aerosols contribution from long-range transport to the total aerosol loading. Also, the pollutants influence on air quality and climate-related properties (biomass burning, dust, continental polluted, industrial local or long-range transported aerosols) will be addressed during this project, including particle loadings, composition, and sources.

Estimated results:

  • Report on in situ - Lidar database;
  • Report on intensive campaigns;
  • One methodology for combined data analyses;
  • Report on organic aerosols variability;
  • 2 papers submitted to ISI Journals;
  • Communication of the results.

Results:

  • 2 papers submitted to ISI Journals;
    • Multifractal cross-correlation of atmospheric pollutants and temperature in different environments, Cristina Marin, Cristina Stan, Constantin P. Cristescu, U.P.B. Sci. Bull., Series A, Vol. 83, Iss. 2, 2021
    • European aerosol phenomenology − 8: Harmonised source apportionment of organic aerosol using 22 Year-long ACSM/AMS datasets, Gang Chen ........., Cristina Marin, Luminita Marmureanu, Jeni Vasilescu et al., Environment International, Volume 166, 2022, 107325, ISSN 0160-4120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107325
    • Rolling vs. Seasonal PMF: Real-world multi-site and synthetic dataset comparison, Via, M., Chen, G., Canonaco, F., Daellenbach, K. R., Chazeau, B., Chebaicheb, H., Jiang, J., Keernik, H., Lin, C., Marchand, N., Marin, C., O'Dowd, C., Ovadnevaite, J., Petit, J.-E., Pikridas, M., Riffault, V., Sciare, J., Slowik, J. G., Simon, L., Vasilescu, J., Zhang, Y., Favez, O., Prévôt, A. S. H., Alastuey, A., and Minguillón, M. C.:, EGUsphere [preprint], 2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-269
    • Aerosol type assessment using remote sensing and in situ techniques, J. Vasilescu, L. Belegante, V. Nicolae, R. Pirloaga, C. Marin, L. Marmureanu, B. Antonescu, D. Nicolae., abstract extins ACTRIS Science Conference, pg. 2016-2018, http://www.faar.fi/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/RS250_AbstractBook_ACTRIS_SC_2022.pdf
  • Communication of the results.

Summary:

Aerosol sources at Bucharest, Romania have been identified and analysed using the almost continuous data from an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor during 2020-2022, along with additional in situ data. Four factor solution have been identified: two primary organic aerosols (related with traffic and wood burning) and two secondary oxygenated organic aerosols. Aerosols type on vertical profiles have been derived from the multiwavelength Raman lidar data. The summer periods have been characterised by a high percentage of Continental and Smoke types of aerosols in the lofted layers, while at the ground base the oxygenated organic aerosols are predominant in the Bucharest region.