A review of measurement techniques for aerosol effective density

Long Peng; Zongrui Li; Guohua Zhang; Xinhui Bi; Weiwei Hu; Mingjin Tang; Xinming Wang; Ping'an Peng; Guoying Sheng

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146248

A review of measurement techniques for aerosol effective density

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jul 15:778:146248. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146248. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Authors

Long Peng¹, Zongrui Li², Guohua Zhang³, Xinhui Bi⁴, Weiwei Hu⁴, Mingjin Tang⁴, Xinming Wang⁴, Ping'an Peng⁴, Guoying Sheng⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China. Electronic address: zhanggh@gig.ac.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.

PMID: 33725611
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146248

Abstract

Density (ρ) is one of the most important physical properties of aerosol particles. Owing to the complex nature of aerosols and the challenges of measuring them, effective density (ρ_e) is generally used as an alternative measure. Various methods have been developed to quantify the ρ_e of aerosols, which provide powerful technical support and understanding of their physical properties. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the characterisation techniques of ρ_e currently used in the literature. Overall, six categories of measurement are identified, and the typical configuration, measurement principles, errors and field applications of each are demonstrated. Their respective advantages and disadvantages are also discussed to improve their application. Finally, we outline future directions for further technical improvement in, and instrumental development for, ρ_e measurement.

Keywords: Application; Chemical compositions; Effective density; Particle; Size.

Publication types

Review