Relative Humidity History Affects Hygroscopicity of Mixed Particles of Glyoxal and Reduced Nitrogenous Species

Xi Chen, Yangxi Chu, Yangxi Chu, Alex K.Y. Lee, Masao Gen, Nethmi Yasara Kasthuriarachchi, Chak K. Chan, Yong Jie Li

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

The relative humidity (RH) history that manifests the cycling of dehydration (water evaporation) and hydration (water uptake) may affect particle-phase reactions, products from which have strong influences on the physical properties and thus climatic effects of atmospheric particles. Using single-trapped particles, we show herein hygroscopic growths of mixed particles with reactive species undergoing three types of RH cycles, simulating different degrees of particle-phase reactions in the atmosphere. The reactive species are the widely known α-dicarbonyl glyoxal (GLY), and five reduced nitrogenous species, ammonium sulfate (AS), glycine (GC), l-alanine (AL), dimethylamine (DMA), and diethylamine (DEA). The results showed that the mixed particles after reactions generally had altered efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) and deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) values and reduced hygroscopic growths at moderately high RH (>80%) conditions. For example, with an additional slow drying step, the mean mass growth factors at 90% RH during dehydration dropped from 2.56 to 2.02 for GC/GLY mixed particles and from 2.45 to 1.23 for AL/GLY mixed particles. The reduced hygroscopicity with more RH cycling will thus lead to less efficient light scattering of the mixed particles, thereby resulting in less cooling and exacerbating direct heating due to light absorption by the products formed.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7097-7106
Number of pages10
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume54
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 16 2020
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • General Chemistry

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