Aqueous production of secondary organic aerosol from fossil-fuel emissions in winter Beijing haze Article Swipe

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Haze Beijing Aerosol Environmental science Fossil fuel Aqueous solution Environmental chemistry Meteorology Waste management Chemistry Geography China Physical chemistry Archaeology Engineering

Junfeng Wang , Jianhuai Ye , Qi Zhang , Jian Zhao , Yangzhou Wu , Jingyi Li , Dantong Liu , Weijun Li , Yange Zhang , Cheng Wu , Conghui Xie , Yiming Qin , Yali Lei , Xiangpeng Huang , Jianping Guo , Pengfei Liu , Pingqing Fu , Yongjie Li , Hyun Chul Lee , Hyoungwoo Choi , Jie Zhang , Hong Liao , Mindong Chen , Yele Sun , Xinlei Ge , Scot T. Martin , Daniel J. Jacob ·

YOU? · · 2021 · Open Access · · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022179118 · OA: W3132563333

Significance Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from fossil-fuel combustion is a major component of Beijing winter haze pollution but its formation mechanisms are unclear. It is generally assumed to originate from atmospheric oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, we show here that fast aqueous-phase oxidation of directly emitted primary organic aerosol (POA) takes place at high relative humidity in Beijing winter haze and can explain the observed SOA. This could explain why SOA has decreased in response to POA emission controls even as VOC emissions have stayed flat. The mechanism may involve ring-breaking oxidation and functionalization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.