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Wintertime Abundance and Sources of Key Trace Gas and Particle Species in Fairbanks, Alaska.

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Title: Wintertime Abundance and Sources of Key Trace Gas and Particle Species in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Authors: Ketcherside, Damien T.1 (AUTHOR), Yokelson, Robert J.1 (AUTHOR) bob.yokelson@umontana.edu, Selimovic, Vanessa1,2 (AUTHOR), Robinson, Ellis S.3 (AUTHOR), Cesler‐Maloney, Meeta4 (AUTHOR), Holen, Andrew L.5 (AUTHOR), Wu, Judy5 (AUTHOR), Temime‐Roussel, Brice6 (AUTHOR), Ijaz, Amna6,7 (AUTHOR), Kuhn, Jonas8 (AUTHOR), Moon, Allison9 (AUTHOR), Pappaccogli, Gianluca10 (AUTHOR), Cysneiros de Carvalho, Karolina11 (AUTHOR), Decesari, Stefano10 (AUTHOR), Alexander, Becky9 (AUTHOR), Williams, Brent J.11,12 (AUTHOR), D'Anna, Barbara6 (AUTHOR), Stutz, Jochen8 (AUTHOR), Pratt, Kerri A.5 (AUTHOR), DeCarlo, Peter F.3 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres. 8/16/2025, Vol. 130 Issue 15, p1-25. 25p.
Subject Terms: *Volatile organic compounds, *Trace gases, *Particulate matter, *Air quality, *Cities & towns, *Automobile emissions, Wood combustion, Winter
Geographic Terms: Alaska, Fairbanks (Alaska)
Abstract: We investigated how various sources contributed to observations of over 40 trace gas and particulate species in a typical Fairbanks residential neighborhood during the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis campaign in January–February 2022. Aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) accounted for ∼50% of measured VOCs (molar ratio), while methanol and ethanol accounted for ∼34%. The total wintertime VOC burden and contribution from aromatics were much higher than other US urban areas. Based on diel cycles and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analyses, we find traffic was the largest source of NO, CO, black carbon, and aromatic VOCs. Formic and acetic acid, hydroxyacetone, furanoids, and other VOCs were primarily attributed to residential wood combustion (RWC). Formaldehyde was one of several VOCs featuring significant contributions from multiple sources: RWC (∼35%), aging (∼30%), traffic (∼21%), and heating oil combustion (HO, ∼14%). PMF solutions assigned primary fine particulate matter to RWC (10%–30%), traffic (25%–40%), and HO (30%–60%), the latter likely reflecting high sulfur emissions from older furnaces and fast secondary chemistry. Despite cold and dark conditions, secondary processes impacted many trace gas and particle species' budget by ±10%–20% and more in some cases. Transport of O3‐rich regional air into Fairbanks contributed to aging, specifically NO3 radical formation. This work highlights a long‐term trend observed in Fairbanks: increasing traffic and decreasing RWC relative contributions as total pollution decreases. Fairbanks exports a relatively fresh pollutant mixture to the regional arctic, the fate of which warrants future study. Plain Language Summary: Fairbanks, Alaska suffers from poor air quality in the wintertime, historically due to a combination of woodstove use for home heating and strong temperature inversions. To better understand this wintertime air pollution, we collected measurements of over 40 gases and particulate matter at a house in Fairbanks. Aromatic gases, a type of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as cancer‐causing benzene, accounted for about 50% of total measured VOCs. The wintertime burden, or total amount, of VOCs was much higher than other urban areas such as New York City. We found that traffic was the largest source of aromatic VOCs, as well as the regulated air pollutants carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Wood burning was responsible for a large amount of important oxygen‐containing gases, while most of the fine particulate matter was from using fuel oil to heat homes. We show that chemistry is responsible for 10%–20% of many pollutants' total. This work highlights a long‐term trend observed in Fairbanks: while air pollution steadily declines, due to environmental regulations, traffic is becoming more important and wood heating less so. Key Points: The wintertime volatile organic compound burden in Fairbanks, AK is higher than more densely populated urban areas, such as New York CityTraffic is the dominant source of volatile organic compounds in Fairbanks, and heating oil combustion is the main source of particulatesSecondary chemical processes were observed to have a substantial impact on the budget of many trace gas and particulate species [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Abstract:We investigated how various sources contributed to observations of over 40 trace gas and particulate species in a typical Fairbanks residential neighborhood during the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis campaign in January–February 2022. Aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) accounted for ∼50% of measured VOCs (molar ratio), while methanol and ethanol accounted for ∼34%. The total wintertime VOC burden and contribution from aromatics were much higher than other US urban areas. Based on diel cycles and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analyses, we find traffic was the largest source of NO, CO, black carbon, and aromatic VOCs. Formic and acetic acid, hydroxyacetone, furanoids, and other VOCs were primarily attributed to residential wood combustion (RWC). Formaldehyde was one of several VOCs featuring significant contributions from multiple sources: RWC (∼35%), aging (∼30%), traffic (∼21%), and heating oil combustion (HO, ∼14%). PMF solutions assigned primary fine particulate matter to RWC (10%–30%), traffic (25%–40%), and HO (30%–60%), the latter likely reflecting high sulfur emissions from older furnaces and fast secondary chemistry. Despite cold and dark conditions, secondary processes impacted many trace gas and particle species' budget by ±10%–20% and more in some cases. Transport of O3‐rich regional air into Fairbanks contributed to aging, specifically NO3 radical formation. This work highlights a long‐term trend observed in Fairbanks: increasing traffic and decreasing RWC relative contributions as total pollution decreases. Fairbanks exports a relatively fresh pollutant mixture to the regional arctic, the fate of which warrants future study. Plain Language Summary: Fairbanks, Alaska suffers from poor air quality in the wintertime, historically due to a combination of woodstove use for home heating and strong temperature inversions. To better understand this wintertime air pollution, we collected measurements of over 40 gases and particulate matter at a house in Fairbanks. Aromatic gases, a type of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as cancer‐causing benzene, accounted for about 50% of total measured VOCs. The wintertime burden, or total amount, of VOCs was much higher than other urban areas such as New York City. We found that traffic was the largest source of aromatic VOCs, as well as the regulated air pollutants carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Wood burning was responsible for a large amount of important oxygen‐containing gases, while most of the fine particulate matter was from using fuel oil to heat homes. We show that chemistry is responsible for 10%–20% of many pollutants' total. This work highlights a long‐term trend observed in Fairbanks: while air pollution steadily declines, due to environmental regulations, traffic is becoming more important and wood heating less so. Key Points: The wintertime volatile organic compound burden in Fairbanks, AK is higher than more densely populated urban areas, such as New York CityTraffic is the dominant source of volatile organic compounds in Fairbanks, and heating oil combustion is the main source of particulatesSecondary chemical processes were observed to have a substantial impact on the budget of many trace gas and particulate species [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:2169897X
DOI:10.1029/2025JD043677