Yellow Beads and Missing Particles: Trouble Ahead for Filter-Based Absorption Measurements

Particulate emissions from low-temperature biomass burning are dominated by organic matter. Here, we show that such emissions have a liquid, bead-like appearance when collected on fibrous filters, and the number of these beads are far less than expected for solid spherical particles. These shapes ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aerosol science and technology 2007-05, Vol.41 (6), p.630-637
Main Authors: Subramanian, R., Roden, Christoph A., Boparai, Poonam, Bond, Tami C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols
Air pollution
Airborne particulates
Carbon
Chemistry
Colloidal state and disperse state
Emissions
Exact sciences and technology
General and physical chemistry
Organic chemicals
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Summary:Particulate emissions from low-temperature biomass burning are dominated by organic matter. Here, we show that such emissions have a liquid, bead-like appearance when collected on fibrous filters, and the number of these beads are far less than expected for solid spherical particles. These shapes are in line with published drop-on-fiber theories for liquids entrained on filaments. A smoldering pine sample is yellowish, with organic carbon over 99% of the total carbon, and chars substantially in thermal-optical analysis (TOA), indicating that such liquid organic particles could affect both absorption measurements and TOA of such samples. Similar colored samples collected in the field from rice-straw burning and cook stove emissions also show a similar liquid appearance.
ISSN:0278-6826
1521-7388
DOI:10.1080/02786820701344589