Can formaldehyde contribute to atmospheric new particle formation from sulfuric acid and water?
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| Title: | Can formaldehyde contribute to atmospheric new particle formation from sulfuric acid and water? |
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| Authors: | Wang, Chun-Yu1,2, Jiang, Shuai2, Wang, Zhong-Quan1,2, Liu, Yi-Rong2, Wen, Hui1, Huang, Teng1, Han, Ya-Juan1, Huang, Wei1,2,3 huangwei6@ustc.edu.cn |
| Source: | Atmospheric Environment. Mar2019, Vol. 201, p323-333. 11p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Formaldehyde, *Sulfuric acid, *Humidity, Rate of nucleation, Quantum chemistry |
| Abstract: | Abstract Though sulfuric acid and ammonia/alkyl amines are recognized as main contributors to new particle formation (NPF), models and observations have indicated that other organic species may be involved. In this study we introduced a suitable flow tube system to investigate the effect of formaldehyde (CH 2 O) on NPF from sulfuric acid and water at 297 K. Our results showed that nucleation rates are slightly enhanced when adding CH 2 O of 0.31–2.40 ppbv (in the range of atmospheric CH 2 O peak concentration) to stable sulfuric acid and water system at relative humidity (RH) of 30%, i.e., a rise of the particle number only by a factor of about 2, which is small in comparison to the millionfold increase caused by methylamine in similar conditions. And the promoting effect was weak under different RH. Cluster growth flux at experimental conditions, obtained from quantum chemistry-based cluster evaporation rate constants applied in a cluster population dynamics model, showed H 2 SO 4 -CH 2 O-based clusters are hard to grow. Therefore, the effect of CH 2 O on NPF via directly involving in the nucleation can be eliminated. In addition, the derived information may provide new insight into the impact of aldehydes on NPF. Highlights • A flow tube system is introduced to study homogeneous nucleation. • Simulations indicate that H 2 SO 4 with CH 2 O clustering is weak. • The enhancement of CH 2 O in H 2 SO 4 -H 2 O nucleation is negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | GreenFILE |
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