Pollution Characteristics of Carbonaceous Aerosols in PM 2. 5 During Typical Winter Days in Wuxi City

The purpose of this study was to investigate the process of haze in winter and the variation of carbonaceous aerosols in haze days. Continuous measurements of PM2.5 and meteorological parameters were conducted from Dec 3rd ,2013 to Jan 3rd, 2014, in Wuxi City. The carbonaceous component was quantified with the thermal/optical transmission (TOT) method. The results showed that: Three times of haze progresses occurred during the sampling period. Cold air, wind and rainfall were the most efficient ways to improve air quality. The mass concentration of PM2.5, OC and EC were (132.38 ± 87.17) μg.m-3, (22.80±9.77) μg.m-3 and (2.08 ± 1. 63) μg.m-3, respectively. The TC accounted for 23.57% of the PM2.5; at the same time, the TC and PM2.5 were found to be strongly correlated (correlation coefficients = 0. 730). There was a negative correlation between the ratio of carbonaceous aerosol in PM2.5 and the concentration of PM2.5, and the ratio in haze days was lower than that in normal days, which suggested that secondary inorganic particles (SO(2-)(4) , NO(-)(3), NH: ) may have a fast growth in haze days. Average OC/EC ratio was 12. 83, and there was a poor correlation between OC and EC, indicating that secondary pollutants might exist. The secondary organic carbon (SOC) was estimated to be 9.04 μg.m -3, accounting for 40. 96% of OC.