Measurements of Mexico City nanoparticle size distributions: Observations of new particle formation and growth

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Read Full Article (file size: 233809 bytes) Cited by GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 31, L10102, doi:10.1029/2004GL019483, 2004 Measurements of Mexico City nanoparticle size distributions: Observations of new particle formation and growth Matthew J. Dunn Advanced Study Program, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA Chemistry Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA José-Luis Jiménez Chemistry Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA Darrel Baumgardner Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México Telma Castro Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México Peter H. McMurry Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA James N. Smith Atmospheric Chemistry Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA Abstract Continuous measurements of the size distribution of atmospheric aerosol in the 3–48 nm diameter range were performed in the Mexico City metropolitan area. These measurements were made during the period 10–20 April 2003 at a ground-based, mountain pass site in the southeast corner of the Mexico City Federal District and during the period 2–11 May 2003 at the CENICA site located near the city center. The objectives of this work were to determine the frequency of new particle formation and to characterize the atmospheric chemical and meteorological conditions that lead to these events. Several new particle formation events were recorded during the study. Events observed in the mountain pass correlate with northerly winds and elevated levels of sulfur dioxide in the mid-morning while events observed in the city correlate with elevated concentrations of sulfur dioxide and low particulate matter mass concentrations in the afternoon hours. Received 13 January 2004; accepted 30 April 2004; published 22 May 2004. Index Terms: 0305 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801); 0345 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Pollution—urban and regional (0305); 0365 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere—composition and chemistry. Read Full Article (file size: 233809 bytes) Cited by Citation: Dunn, M. J., J.-L. Jiménez, D. Baumgardner, T. Castro, P. H. McMurry, and J. N. Smith (2004), Measurements of Mexico City nanoparticle size distributions: Observations of new particle formation and growth, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L10102, doi:10.1029/2004GL019483. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

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