Characteristics and source apportionment of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) in PM2.5 in Hong Kong: With focus on amines, urea, and nitroaromatic compounds

Chin Wai Leung; Xuemei Wang; Di Hu

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133899

Characteristics and source apportionment of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) in PM_2.5 in Hong Kong: With focus on amines, urea, and nitroaromatic compounds

J Hazard Mater. 2024 May 5:469:133899. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133899. Epub 2024 Feb 25.

Authors

Chin Wai Leung¹, Xuemei Wang¹, Di Hu²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
² Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; HKBU Institute of Research and Continuing Education, Shenzhen Virtual University Park, Shenzhen 518057, PR China. Electronic address: dihu@hkbu.edu.hk.

PMID: 38430595
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133899

Abstract

Water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) is ubiquitous in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and poses health and environmental risks. However, there is limited knowledge regarding its comprehensive speciation and source-specific contributions. Here, we conducted chemical characterization and source apportionment of WSON in 65 PM_2.5 samples collected in Hong Kong during a 1-yr period. Using various mass-spectrometry-based techniques, we quantified 22 nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs), including 17 nitroaromatics (NACs), four amines, and urea. The most abundant amine and NACs were dimethylamine and 4-nitrocatechol, respectively. Two secondary (i.e., secondary formation and secondary nitrate) and five primary sources (i.e., sea salt, fugitive dust, marine vessels, vehicle exhaust, and biomass burning) of WSON and these three categories of NOCs were identified. Throughout the year, secondary sources dominated WSON formation (69.0%), while primary emissions had significant contributions to NACs (77.1%), amines (75.9%), and urea (83.7%). Fugitive dust was the leading source of amines and urea, while biomass burning was the main source of NACs. Our multi-linear regression analysis revealed the significant role of sulfate, NO₃, nitrate, liquid water content, and particle pH on WSON formation, highlighting the importance of nighttime NO₃ processing and heterogeneous and aqueous-phase formation of NOCs in the Hong Kong atmosphere.

Keywords: Amines; Nitroaromatic compounds; PM(2.5); Urea; Water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON).