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Enhancing characterization of organic nitrogen components in aerosols and droplets using high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometry

Atmospheric measurement techniques, 2024-01, Vol.17 (2) [Peer Reviewed Journal]

ISSN: 1867-8548 ;EISSN: 1867-8548

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  • Title:
    Enhancing characterization of organic nitrogen components in aerosols and droplets using high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometry
  • Author: Ge, Xinlei ; Sun, Yele ; Trousdell, Justin ; Chen, Mindong ; Zhang, Qi
  • Subjects: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
  • Is Part Of: Atmospheric measurement techniques, 2024-01, Vol.17 (2)
  • Description: This study aims to enhance the understanding and application of the Aerodyne high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-AMS) for comprehensive characterization of organic nitrogen (ON) compounds in aerosol particles and atmospheric droplets. To achieve this, we analyzed seventy-five N-containing organic compounds, representing a diverse range of ambient ON types, including amines, amides, amino acids, N-heterocycles, protein, and humic acids. Our results show that ON compounds can produce significant levels of NHx+ and NOx+ ion fragments, which are typically recognized as ions representative of inorganic nitrogen species. We also discovered the presence of CH2N+ at m/z = 28.0187, an ion fragment that is rarely quantified in ambient datasets due to substantial interference from air-related N2+. As a result, we determined that an updated calibration factor of 0.79 is necessary to accurately quantify ON content using aerosol mass spectrometry. We also assessed the relative ionization efficiencies (RIEs) for different ON species and found that the average RIE of ON compounds (1.52 ± 0.58) aligns with the commonly used default value of 1.40 for organic aerosol (OA). Moreover, through a careful examination of the HR-AMS mass spectral features of various ON types, we propose fingerprint ion series that can aid the ON speciation analysis. The presence of CnH2n+2N+ ions is closely linked with amines, with CH4N+ indicating primary amines, C2H6N+ suggesting secondary amines, and C3H8N+ representing tertiary amines. CnH2nNO+ ions (especially for n values of 1–4) are very likely derived from amides. The co-existence of three ions, C2H4NO2+, C2H3NO+, and CH4NO+, serves as an indicator for the presence of amino acids. Additionally, the presence of CxHyN2+ ions indicates the occurrence of 2N-heterocyclic compounds. Notably, an elevated abundance of NH4+ is a distinct signature for amines and amino acids, as inorganic ammonium salts produce only negligible amounts of NH4+ in HR-AMS. Finally, we quantified the ON contents in submicron particles (PM1) and fog waters in Fresno, California and PM1 in New York City (NYC). Our results revealed the substantial presence of amino compounds in both Fresno and NYC aerosols, whereas concurrently collected fog waters contained a broader range of ON species, including N-containing aromatic heterocycle (e.g., imidazoles) and amides. These findings highlight the significant potential of employing the widespread HR-AMS measurements of ambient aerosols and droplets to enhance our understanding of the sources, transformation processes, and environmental impacts associated with ON compounds in the atmosphere.
  • Publisher: United States: Copernicus Publications, EGU
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISSN: 1867-8548
    EISSN: 1867-8548
  • Source: ProQuest Central
    DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals
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