ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Inorganic Seed Aerosol on the Formation
of Nitrogen-Containing Organic Compounds
from Reaction of Ammonia with Photooxidation
Products of Toluene
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1
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Modern Analytical Science and Separation Technology, College of Chemistry
and Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou, China
2
Laboratory of Atmospheric Physico-Chemistry, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
Submission date: 2018-11-10
Final revision date: 2019-02-22
Acceptance date: 2019-03-03
Online publication date: 2019-09-10
Publication date: 2019-12-09
Corresponding author
Mingqiang Huang
College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Environment, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(1):909-917
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ABSTRACT
Ammonia (NH3) is the most important alkaline pollution gas in the atmosphere, and the
nitrogen-containing organic compounds formed by photooxidation with toluene is the main component
of atmospheric brown carbon (BrC). Inorganic seed aerosols such as ammonium sulfate and calcium
chloride can affect the formation and chemical composition of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), because
of their large surface area. The effects of seed aerosols with different ingredients, concentrations,
humidity and acidity on the formation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds were studied
qualitatively by UV-Vis spectrometry in this study. The results showed that inorganic seed aerosols
promoted the formation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds. The order of promotion is calcium
chloride > sodium silicate > ammonium sulfate > sodium chloride > ammonium nitrate. The formation
concentration of nitrogen-containing organic products gradually increases with the increase of calcium
chloride seed aerosol concentration and acidity. When the seed aerosol is alkaline, it is not conducive to
its formation. The increase of water molecules would reduce the concentration of nitrogen-containing
organic products as the relative humidity increases. These would provide new experimental basis for the
formation mechanism of brown carbon of aromatic SOA.