Characterization of Background Aerosol Properties during a Wintertime Smog Episode

• Published in: Aerosol and Air Quality Research 2016-08, Vol.16 (8), p.1793-1804
• Main Authors: Agnes Molnár, Zsuzsanna Bécsi, Kornélia Imre, Vera Gácser, Zita Ferenczi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1680-8584; 2071-1409
• DOI: 10.4209/aaqr.2015.04.0205

The aim of this paper is to study the wintertime physical properties of atmospheric aerosol particles on the basis of data observed at the K-puszta regional background station in Hungary. In Hungary wintertime smog episodes are linked to strong stable air (high pressure blocking events) with thermal inversion. These atmospheric conditions are frequently formed during winter months (November–February) due to the special geographical location of the country. The formation of smog events is highly probable in cases of thermal inversion periods sustaining for at least 4 days. We discuss in the paper the role of high-pressure blocking events in aerosol properties in terms of PM 10 concentrations, aerosol size distributions, new particle formation and optical properties. We found that high-pressure blocking events have significant impacts on the size distribution and particle formation processes. At K-puszta the aerosol is in highly aged state with size distribution dominated by the accumulation mode. This is further supported by the optical properties, e.g., by high scattering Ångstrom exponent and by relatively weak absorption. The most significant effect of extreme episodes is manifested in the changes in PM 10 concentrations and, consequently, in aerosol optical properties. The PM 10 concentrations, scattering coefficients and absorption coefficients considerably increase to extreme values that are characteristic of a heavily polluted atmosphere rather than rural air. Our results indicate that in winter, the air quality at K-puszta is often influenced by regional air pollution as shown by spatial distribution of PM 10 concentration. It is found that PM 10 had almost the same concentration in regional background air and in different types of urban environments. The special meteorological conditions and the role of regional-scale transport can explain why local abatements in cities cannot lead to significant improvement of the air quality during smog events.