Size distribution characteristics of elemental carbon emitted from Chinese vehicles: results of a tunnel study and atmospheric implications.

The size distribution characteristics of elemental carbon (EC) emissions from Chinese vehicles have not been previously described. In this study, we collected size-segregated aerosol samples using a 10-stage MOUDI sampler (0.056-18 microm) in the Zhujiang tunnel, a roadway tunnel in the urban area of Guangzhou, China. The samples were analyzed for EC, organic carbon (OC), and inorganic ions. Fine particles had an OC/EC ratio of 0.57, indicating a dominant contribution of EC from diesel vehicles. Both EC and OC showed a dominant accumulation mode with a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 0.42 microm. In comparison, studies available in the literature typically reported a much lower MMAD for EC (approximately 0.1 microm) in vehicular emissions in North America. A theoretical analysis indicated that the larger EC particles observed in this study could not have resulted from after-emission growth processes (i.e., water accretion, coagulation, and vapor condensation). This leaves operating conditions such as high engine loads and low combustion efficiencies, which are more prevalent in diesel-fueled Chinese vehicles, as a more plausible inherent reason for producing the larger EC agglomerates. While fresh 0.1 microm EC particles are unlikely to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), calculations showed that EC particles as large as 0.42 microm are effective CCN at atmospherically relevant critical supersaturation values of less than 1%. As a result, fresh EC particles from Chinese vehicle emissions could readily undergo cloud processing and form internal mixtures with sulfate in the residue droplet mode particles. This prediction is consistent with observations that EC frequently showed a dominant droplet mode in urban atmospheres in this region. The internal mixing of EC with highly hygroscopic sulfate would facilitate its removal by wet deposition and shorten its lifetime in the atmosphere. In addition, the light-absorbing capabilities of EC particles could also be enhanced due to their internal mixing with sulfate. Numerical aerosol models need to take these factors into consideration for better predictions of the behaviors and effects of urban aerosols in China.