SOCAAR is pleased to announce our next seminar in our 2013-2014 seminar
series.
Characterization of atmospheric black carbon in Toronto and the oil sands
region
Alex Lee,
Post Doctoral Fellow
Dept. of Chemistry, University of Toronto
Ambient black carbon can play a critical role influencing regional air quality,
human health, and radiative forcing. Processes such as fossil fuel combustion
and biomass burning are the primary sources of ambient black carbon. Coating
can be formed on particles containing black carbon and thus modify their
physical and chemical properties, such as light absorption and cloud activation
abilities. Understanding the mixing state of ambient particles containing black
carbon and the characteristics of any associated coating is therefore
particularly important to evaluating their fate and environmental impacts. In
recent studies, we have demonstrated the use of an Aerodyne soot particle
aerosol mass spectrometer equipped with a light scattering module to examine
the mixing state of particles containing black carbon and other aerosol
components including nitrate, sulfate and organics, using downtown Toronto as
a representative urban environment. This yielded the first reported single
particle mass spectra of black carbon-containing particles measured by this
instrument. We found that in downtown Toronto, ~60-70% of particles rich in
black carbon are thinly coated with organics originating from vehicle exhausts.
Furthermore, the high time resolution measurements allowed by the instrument
also provided additional insight into the characteristics of vehicle emission
plumes. Lastly, the instrument was deployed to identify the mixing states and
potential sources of black carbon in Alberta’s oil sands in summer 2013. and
these preliminary results will be discussed.
February 5, 2014, 3 - 4 pm
Wallberg Building, 200 College Street, Room 407
The seminar will be recorded and posted on the SOCAAR website:
www.socaar.utoronto.ca
