Secondary organic aerosol reduced by mixture of atmospheric vapours

Gordon McFiggans, Thomas F. Mentel (), Jürgen Wildt, Iida Pullinen, Sungah Kang, Einhard Kleist, Sebastian Schmitt, Monika Springer, Ralf Tillmann, Cheng Wu, Defeng Zhao, Mattias Hallquist, Cameron Faxon, Michael Breton, Åsa M. Hallquist, David Simpson, Robert Bergström, Michael E. Jenkin, Mikael Ehn, Joel A. Thornton, M. Rami Alfarra, Thomas J. Bannan, Carl J. Percival, Michael Priestley, David Topping and Astrid Kiendler-Scharr
Additional contact information
Gordon McFiggans: University of Manchester
Thomas F. Mentel: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Jürgen Wildt: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Iida Pullinen: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Sungah Kang: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Einhard Kleist: Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften, IBG-2, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Sebastian Schmitt: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Monika Springer: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Ralf Tillmann: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Cheng Wu: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Defeng Zhao: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Mattias Hallquist: University of Gothenburg
Cameron Faxon: University of Gothenburg
Michael Breton: University of Manchester
Åsa M. Hallquist: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
David Simpson: Chalmers University of Technology
Robert Bergström: University of Gothenburg
Michael E. Jenkin: Atmospheric Chemistry Services
Mikael Ehn: Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki
Joel A. Thornton: University of Washington
M. Rami Alfarra: University of Manchester
Thomas J. Bannan: University of Manchester
Carl J. Percival: University of Manchester
Michael Priestley: University of Manchester
David Topping: University of Manchester
Astrid Kiendler-Scharr: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich

Nature, 2019, vol. 565, issue 7741, 587-593

Abstract: Abstract Secondary organic aerosol contributes to the atmospheric particle burden with implications for air quality and climate. Biogenic volatile organic compounds such as terpenoids emitted from plants are important secondary organic aerosol precursors with isoprene dominating the emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds globally. However, the particle mass from isoprene oxidation is generally modest compared to that of other terpenoids. Here we show that isoprene, carbon monoxide and methane can each suppress the instantaneous mass and the overall mass yield derived from monoterpenes in mixtures of atmospheric vapours. We find that isoprene ‘scavenges’ hydroxyl radicals, preventing their reaction with monoterpenes, and the resulting isoprene peroxy radicals scavenge highly oxygenated monoterpene products. These effects reduce the yield of low-volatility products that would otherwise form secondary organic aerosol. Global model calculations indicate that oxidant and product scavenging can operate effectively in the real atmosphere. Thus highly reactive compounds (such as isoprene) that produce a modest amount of aerosol are not necessarily net producers of secondary organic particle mass and their oxidation in mixtures of atmospheric vapours can suppress both particle number and mass of secondary organic aerosol. We suggest that formation mechanisms of secondary organic aerosol in the atmosphere need to be considered more realistically, accounting for mechanistic interactions between the products of oxidizing precursor molecules (as is recognized to be necessary when modelling ozone production).

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0871-y

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