Modelling the dynamic gas/particle partitioning process of semi-volatile organic compounds emitted from point...

The deleterious impact of pollution point sources on the surrounding environment and human has long been a focal point of environmental research. When considering the local atmospheric dispersion of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) around the emission sites, it is essential to account the dynamic process for the gas/particle (G/P) partitioning, which involves the transition from an initial state to a steady state. In this study, we have developed a model that enables the prediction of the dynamic process for G/P partitioning of SVOCs, particularly considering the influence from emission. It is important to note that the dynamic processes of the concentrations of SVOCs in particle phase (C_P) and in gas phase (C_G) differ significantly. These differences arise due to the influence of two critical factors: particulate proportion of SVOCs in the emissions (ϕ₀) and octanol-air partitioning coefficient (K_OA). The validity of our model was assessed by comparing its predictions of the extremum value of the G/P partitioning quotient (K_P) with the results obtained from the steady-state model. Remarkably, the characteristic time (t_C), used to evaluate the timescale required for SVOCs to reach steady state, demonstrated different variations with K_OA for C_P and C_G. Additionally, the values of t_C were quite different for C_P and C_G, which were markedly influenced by ϕ₀. For some SVOCs with high K_OA values, it took approximately 35 h to reach steady state. Furthermore, it was found that the time to achieve 95 % of steady state (t₉₅ ≈ 3t_C) could reach approximately 105 h. This duration is sufficient for chemicals to disperse from their emission site to the surrounding areas. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the dynamic process of G/P partitioning in local atmospheric transport studies. Moreover, the influence of ϕ₀ should be incorporated into future investigations examining the dynamic process of G/P partitioning.