Hygroscopicity of atmospheric sub-micrometer particles in various environments in China

In the past several years, the measurements of particle hygroscopicity were deployed using H-TDMA (Hygroscopicity-Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer). This study compiled the outcomes in our group and published results to summarize the hygroscopicity of the sub-micrometer particles in various environments in China. The κ values in the urban areas were around 0.1~0.3. In rural areas, the κ values ranged from 0.15 to 0.4, which were slightly higher than the urban one. The κ values at a mountain site (118.11°E, 30.07°N) and a near-coastal site (114.17°E, 22.28°N) were 0.2~0.3 and 0.2~0.4 respectively. Except for the observation in a rural site of Beijing during wintertime, the particle hygroscopicity increased with increasing particle size in other rural and urban sites. No significant dependency between the hygroscopicity and particle size in the mountain and coastal areas. Typically, particle hygroscopicity showed 2~3 modes distribution, indicating an external mixing state of atmospheric particles. However, high frequency of a single mode (hydrophilic mode) was observed in the mountain site. The growth factor (GF) smoothly enhanced with increasing relative humidity (RH) in the atmosphere of Beijing and Hangzhou, without showing a delinquent behavior. The closure studies between particle hygroscopicity and chemical composition showed that the hygroscopicity can be well predicted using size-resolved particle chemical composition. The precise detections of particle density and hygroscopicity of organics, and the mass size distribution of black carbon are still needed for the improvement of closure study. © 2017, Editorial Board of China Environmental Science. All right reserved.