Advances in integrated and continuous measurements for particle mass and chemical composition

Recent improvements in integrated and continuous PM2.5 mass and chemical measurements from the Supersite program and related studies in the past decade are summarized. Analytical capabilities of the measurement methods, including accuracy, precision, interferences, minimum detectable levels, comparability, and data completeness are documented. Upstream denuders followed by filter packs in integrated samplers allow an estimation of sampling artifacts. Efforts are needed to: (1) address positive and negative artifacts for organic carbon (OC), and (2) develop carbon standards to better separate organic versus elemental carbon (EC) under different temperature settings and analysis atmospheres. Advances in thermal desorption followed by gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS) provide organic speciation of approximately 130 nonpolar compounds (e.g., n-alkanes, alkenes, hopanes, steranes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs]) using small portions of filters from existing integrated samples. Speciation of water-soluble OC (WSOC) using ion chromatography (IC)-based instruments can replace labor-intensive solvent extraction for many compounds used as source markers. Thermal gas-based continuous nitrate and sulfate measurements underestimate filter ions by 10-50% and require calibration against on-site filter-based measurements. IC-based instruments provide multiple ions and report comparable (+/-10%) results to filter-based measurements. Maintaining a greater than 80% data capture rate in continuous instruments is labor intensive and requires experienced operators. Several instruments quantify black carbon (BC) by optical or photoacoustic methods, or EC by thermal methods. A few instruments provide real-time OC, EC, and organic speciation. BC and EC concentrations from continuous instruments are highly correlated but the concentrations differ by a factor of two or more. Site- and season-specific mass absorption efficiencies are needed to convert light absorption to BC. Particle mass spectrometers, although semiquantitative, provide much information on particle size and composition related to formation, growth, and characteristics over short averaging times. Efforts are made to quantify mass by collocating with other particle sizing instruments. Common parameters should be identified and consistent approaches are needed to establish comparability among measurements.