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Size spectra and atmospheric growth of V-containing aerosol in Washington, DC

Journal Article · · Aerosol Science and Technology
; ;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)
Size-segregated submicrometer aerosol particles were collected with micro-orifice impactors (MOI) at three sites in the heavily urban, but nonindustrialized Washington, DC metropolitan area during a 40-day period in August and September of 1990, when atmospheric V (an important marker of oil combustion emissions) was principally derived from commercial and utility oil combustion. Results for 34 MOI samples, analyzed for V by instrumental neutron activation analysis, were fit with a least-squares technique which used impactor calibration data to determine log-normal distribution parameters, i.e., mass median aerodynamic diameter (mmad) and geometric standard deviation ({delta}g) for fine particles bearing V. Geometric size distribution parameters were also determined. The median mmad for 19 College Park (CP) samples was 0.361+0.006 {mu}m. At this site, mmads for samples collected in the absence of rain and with V concentrations > 0.61 ng/m{sup 3} increased continuously with increasing relative humidity (RH) from 56% to 79% according to the equation d{sub p}{sup 3} = -0.0222{+-}0.0033/ln(a{sub w}) -0.013{+-}0.009. Mmads for samples collected at Andrews AFB were characteristically smaller than those determined at CP at comparable RH, probably due to the influence of a nearby oil-fired boiler. 52 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
405302
Journal Information:
Aerosol Science and Technology, Journal Name: Aerosol Science and Technology Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 25; ISSN 0278-6826; ISSN ASTYDQ
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English