Articles | Volume 17, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10619-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10619-2017
Research article
 | 
08 Sep 2017
Research article |  | 08 Sep 2017

Decoupling peroxyacetyl nitrate from ozone in Chinese outflows observed at Gosan Climate Observatory

Jihyun Han, Meehye Lee, Xiaona Shang, Gangwoong Lee, and Louisa K. Emmons

Abstract. We measured peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and other reactive species such as O3, NO2, CO, and SO2 with aerosols including mass, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) in PM2. 5 and K+ in PM1. 0 at Gosan Climate Observatory in Korea (33.17° N, 126.10° E) during 19 October–6 November 2010. PAN was determined through fast gas chromatography with luminol chemiluminescence detection at 425 nm every 2 min. The PAN mixing ratios ranged from 0.1 (detection limit) to 2.4 ppbv with a mean of 0.6 ppbv. For all measurements, PAN was unusually better correlated with PM2. 5 (Pearson correlation coefficient, γ =  0.79) than with O3 (γ =  0.67). In particular, the O3 level was highly elevated with SO2 at midnight, along with a typical midday peak when air was transported rapidly from the Beijing areas. The PAN enhancement was most noticeable during the occurrence of haze under stagnant conditions. In Chinese outflows slowly transported over the Yellow Sea, PAN gradually increased up to 2.4 ppbv at night, in excellent correlation with a concentration increase in PM2. 5 OC and EC, PM2. 5 mass, and PM1. 0 K+. The high K+ concentration and OC ∕ EC ratio indicated that the air mass was impacted by biomass combustion. This study highlights PAN decoupling with O3 in Chinese outflows and suggests PAN as a useful indicator for diagnosing continental outflows and assessing their perturbation of regional air quality in northeast Asia.

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Short summary
Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) was first measured at Gosan Climate Observatory during the fall of 2010, when PAN was better correlated with PM10 than with O3. In particular, PAN and O3 concentrations were greatly elevated in haze and the Beijing plume and much higher than those from model simulation. This study highlights the decoupling of PAN from O3 in Chinese outflows and suggests PAN as a potential indicator of overall aerosol formation in aged air masses impacted by biomass burning.
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