Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 12, 2025
10:59
Analysis of SEC-SAXS data via EFA deconvolution and Scatter
Published on: January 28, 2021
9.6K
Evaluation of the Semi-Continuous OCEC analyzer performance with the EUSAAR2 protocol
A Karanasiou1, P Panteliadis2, N Perez1
1Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
The Science of the Total Environment
|August 11, 2020
Summary
The Semi-Continuous OCEC analyzer using the EUSAAR2 protocol provides accurate measurements of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in ambient air. This method shows excellent agreement with offline analysis, confirming its reliability for air quality monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- Environmental Science
- Air Quality Monitoring
Background:
- Accurate measurement of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) is crucial for understanding air pollution and its impacts.
- The EUSAAR2 protocol is a reference method for thermal-optical analysis of OC and EC.
- Semi-continuous analyzers offer advantages for real-time monitoring compared to traditional offline methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the applicability and performance of the EUSAAR2 protocol on a Semi-Continuous OCEC analyzer.
- To compare online measurements with offline thermal-optical analysis at both urban and regional background sites.
- To assess the agreement between different methods for measuring black carbon (BC) and its relationship with EC.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Semi-Continuous OCEC analyzer implementing the EUSAAR2 protocol at two distinct atmospheric environments.
- Compared 24-h averaged OC and EC measurements from the analyzer with offline analysis of PM2.5 filters.
- Correlated BC concentrations measured by aethalometer and MAAP with EC data from the analyzer and offline methods.
Main Results:
- The Semi-Continuous OCEC analyzer showed very good agreement with offline OC and EC measurements at both urban and regional sites.
- Black carbon (BC) measurements by aethalometer and MAAP correlated well with EC, but consistently showed higher values, highlighting the need for site-specific mass absorption cross-section (MAC) calibration.
- Organic aerosol (OA) concentrations measured by ACSM correlated strongly with OC from the Sunset analyzer, with OA/OC ratios of 1.9 and 2.3 at the respective sites.
- Filter loading effects and extreme dust events can influence OC measurements, leading to potential overestimation or shifts in analysis modes.
Conclusions:
- The Sunset Semi-Continuous OCEC analyzer, when operated with the EUSAAR2 protocol, provides robust and consistent OC and EC measurements.
- The findings support the use of this online method for reliable air quality monitoring, with careful consideration of calibration and potential interferences.
- Site-specific calibration is essential for accurate conversion of absorption measurements to BC mass concentrations.
Keywords:
African dustCarbonaceous aerosolElemental carbonOrganic carbonRefractory materialThermal-optical analysisMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
517
Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is the common plasma source used in atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), a technique that detects and analyzes various elements in a sample. This method is often called inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used....
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used....
517
01:20Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Overview
3.2K
Atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) is an analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of a sample by analyzing the light emitted from excited atoms. In AES, atoms in a sample are excited to higher energy levels by thermal energy from high-temperature sources, such as plasma, arcs, or sparks. When these excited atoms return to lower energy states, they emit light at specific wavelengths characteristic of each element. The resulting atomic emission spectrum, which consists of...
3.2K
01:18Effects of EDTA on End-Point Detection Methods
536
Different methods, such as visual observance of metal-ion indicators, spectroscopic techniques, and potentiometric methods, can determine the endpoint of an EDTA titration.
In the visual method, metal-ion indicators (metallochromic dyes), which have distinct colors in their free and complex forms, are added to the mixture to signal the titration's end point. They form stable complexes with metal ions, but these complexes are weaker than the corresponding metal–EDTA complexes. As a...
In the visual method, metal-ion indicators (metallochromic dyes), which have distinct colors in their free and complex forms, are added to the mixture to signal the titration's end point. They form stable complexes with metal ions, but these complexes are weaker than the corresponding metal–EDTA complexes. As a...
536
01:29Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab
461
AES is a powerful analytical technique, especially effective when used with plasma sources, producing abundant spectra in characteristic emission lines. The Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), in particular, yields superior quantitative analytical data due to its high stability, low noise, low background, and minimal interferences under optimal experimental conditions. However, newer air-operated microwave sources are emerging as promising alternatives that could be more cost-effective than...
461
01:22Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
1.0K
The instrumentation of atomic emission spectrometry (AES) involves various components, including atomization devices that convert samples into gas-phase atoms and ions. There are two main types of atomization devices: continuous and discrete atomizers. Continuous atomizers, like plasmas and flames, introduce samples in a constant stream, while discrete atomizers inject individual samples using syringes or autosamplers. The most common discrete atomizer is the electrothermal atomizer.
1.0K