Formation of refractory black carbon by SP2-induced charring of organic aerosol

From National Research Council Canada

DOI	Resolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2018.1531107
Author	Search for: Sedlacek, Arthur J.; Search for: Onasch, Timothy B.; Search for: Nichman, Leonid; Search for: Lewis, Ernie R.; Search for: Davidovits, Paul; Search for: Freedman, Andrew; Search for: Williams, Leah
Format	Text, Article
Abstract	Black carbon (BC) in the atmosphere continues to be a focus of research because its light-absorptive properties put it second only to CO₂ as a warming agent of Earth’s climate. Towards this end, the measurement of ambient BC has been aided greatly by the development of the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2)—an instrument that detects refractory black carbon (rBC) through laser-induced incandescence (Schwarz et al., 2006). Potential interference from other substances that can incandesce under 1064 nm illumination (e.g., some metals and minerals) is mitigated through the use of spectral bandpass filters that allow determination of the color temperature of incandescence to ensure that the SP2 remains highly selective to rBC. Here, we report on the detection of rBC that is produced through SP2 laser-induced charring (i.e., carbonization) of organic aerosols. Nigrosin and fulvic and humic acids—non-BC-containing materials—were used as a surrogates for light-absorbing organic aerosols. The color temperature of the detected particles originating from these charred organic aerosols is near that of carbon black, fullerene soot, and ethylene soot, indicating that the incandescent particles are composed of rBC. Failure to properly account for this heretofore unidentified artifact of the SP2 will lead to an overestimate of rBC loadings, which could, in turn, impact aerosol radiative forcing model predictions.
Publication date	2018-11-02
Publisher	Taylor and Francis
In	Aerosol Science and Technology 52, no. 12: 1345–1350.
Language	English
Peer reviewed	Yes
NRC publication	This is a non-NRC publication "Non-NRC publications" are publications authored by NRC employees prior to their employment by NRC.
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Record identifier	61477fb0-fecd-4028-86b4-c8274826c47c
Record created	2019-10-21
Record modified	2020-03-16

Date modified:: 2026-01-15