Hygroscopicity of Fresh and Aged Salt Mixtures from Saline Lakes

• The high hygroscopicity of salt aerosol particles makes the particles active in aerosol and cloud formations. Inland saline lakes are an important and dynamic source of salt aerosol. The salt particles can be mixed with mineral dust and transported over long distances. During transportation, these particles participate in atmospheric heterogeneous chemistry and further impact the climate and air quality on a global scale. Despite their importance and potential, relatively little research has been done on saline lake salt mixtures from atmospheric perspectives. In this study, we use experimental and model methods to evaluate the hygroscopic properties of saline lake brines, fresh salt aerosol particles, and aged salt aerosol particles. Both original samples and literature data are investigated. The original brine samples are collected from six salt lakes in Shanxi and Qinghai provinces in China. The ionic compositions of the brines are determined and the hygroscopicity measurements are performed on crystallized brines. The experimental results agree well with theoretical deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) values estimated by a thermodynamic model. The correlations between DRHs of different salt components and the correlations between DRHs and ionic concentrations are presented and discussed. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis is performed on the ionic concentrations data and the hygroscopicity results, and the solutions are interpreted and discussed. The fresh and aged salt aerosol particles are analyzed in the same way as the brines, and the comparison shows that the aged salt aerosol particles completely alter their hygroscopic property, i.e., transferring from MgCl2- governed to NH4NO3- governed.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Meteorologi och atmosfärforskning (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Geokemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Geochemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Klimatforskning (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Climate Research (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Fysikalisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Physical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Analytisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Analytical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

hygroscopicity

aerosol

saline lake

playa

thermodynamic model

PMF

ageing

water-adsorption

thermodynamic model

mineral dust

qaidam basin

particles

sea

aerosols

mechanisms

atmosphere

chemistry

Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

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