Performance Intercomparison of Diethylene Glycol-Based
Aerosol Size Spectrometers in Sub-3 nm
Particle Size Range

	#br#

Abstract

Abstract: Diethylene glycol-based aerosol size spectrometers have been extensively employed to measure sub-3 nm size-resolved particle concentrations in recent years. Quantification of the performance of these instruments for accurate measurement of particle size distribution is essential and significant. Comparison between diethylene glycol-based scanning mobility size spectrometer (DEG-SMPS) and scanning mode particle size magnifier (PSM) was performed. During the laboratory calibrations, to obtain more reliable data by the PSM, the particle size bin larger than 4 nm is recommended to be set during calibration to reduce the influence of large particles during the inversion and increase the inverted size range of the PSM results as well. It is shown that the results of PSM and DEG-SMPS are almost consistent when measuring the number concentration of particles below 3 nm. The correlation of the number concentration between the two instruments in this study is high, with r2 > 0.75 for each day. However, the slope of the total number concentration of PSM versus that of DEG-SMPS varies from 1.4 to 4.5 in this study, which most likely due to the variations in the chemical composition of newly formed particles. In addition, some non-negligible uncertainties, such as the uncertainty caused by the detection efficiency calibration and the uncertainty in the aerosol charge fraction, may also contribute to the difference in the intercomparison. DEG-SMPS classifies particles with DMA and thus can achieve a superior sizing resolution over PSM. Compared with DEG-SMPS, PSM performs better in environment with low particle concentrations, including the days with weak nucleation, due to the fact that PSM completely avoids the low charging efficiency issue of sub-3 nm particles and is less likely affected by the counting uncertainty of a typical CPC in the SMPS system in“magnification stage”. In general, PSM and DEG-SMPS are both adequate for measuring sub-3 nm particle size distributions to better understand new particle formation processes, even some non-negligible uncertainties in the data need to be solved in future research.

Key words: aerosol detection, aerosol size spectrometers, particle size distribution, new particle formation

CLC Number:

X851
P415.3

YANG Dongsen, CAI Runlong, JIANG Jingkun, MA Yan, ZHENG Jun∗. Performance Intercomparison of Diethylene Glycol-Based Aerosol Size Spectrometers in Sub-3 nm Particle Size Range #br# [J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Environmental Optics, 2020, 15(6): 470-485.

References 35

[1]	Wang Zhibin, Hu Min, Wu Zhijun, et al. Reasearch on the formation mechanisms of new particles in the atmosphere [J]. Acta
	Chimica Sinica, 2013, 71(4): 519-527 (in Chinese).
	王志彬, 胡敏, 吴志军, 等. 大气新粒子生成机制的研究 [J]. 化学学报, 2013, 71(4): 519-527.
[2]	Zhang R Y, Khalizov A, Wang L, et al. Nucleation and growth of nanoparticles in the atmosphere [J]. Chemical reviews, 2012,
11	2(3): 1957-2011.
[3]	Wang Z B, Hu M, Pei X Y, et al. Connection of organics to atmospheric new particle formation and growth at an urban site of
	Beijing [J]. Atmospheric Environment, 2015, 103: 7-17.
[4]	Jiang J K, Chen M D, Kuang C A, et al. Electrical mobility spectrometer using a diethylene glycol condensation particle counter
	for measurement of aerosol size distributions down to 1 nm [J]. Aerosol Science and Technology, 2011, 45(4): 510-521.
[5]	Lehtipalo K, Leppa J, Kontkanen J, ¨ et al. Methods for determining particle size distribution and growth rates between 1 and 3
	nm using the particle size magnifier [J]. Boreal Environment Research, 2014, 19(suppl. B): 215-236.
[6]	Vanhanen J, Mikkila J, Lehtipalo K, ¨ et al. Particle size magnifier for nano-CN detection [J]. Aerosol Science and Technology,
20	11, 45(4): 533-542.
[7]	Kuang C A, Chen M D, Zhao J, et al. Size and time-resolved growth rate measurements of 1 to 5 nm freshly formed atmospheric
	nuclei [J]. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2012, 12(7): 3573-3589.
[8]	Kulmala M, Vehkamaki H, Pet ¨ aj ¨ a T, ¨ et al. Formation and growth rates of ultrafine atmospheric particles: A review of observations [J]. Journal of Aerosol Science, 2004, 35(2): 143-176.[9] Iida K, Stolzenburg M R, McMurry P H. Effect of working fluid on sub-2 nm particle detection with a laminar flow ultrafine
	condensation particle counter [J]. Aerosol Science and Technology, 2009, 43(1): 81-96.
[10]	Cai R L, Yang D S, Ahonen L R, et al. Data inversion methods to determine sub-3 nm aerosol size distributions using the
	particle size magnifier [J]. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 2018, 11(7): 4477-4491.
[11]	Cai R L, Yang D S, Fu Y Y, et al. Aerosol surface area concentration: A governing factor in new particle formation in Beijing
[J]	Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2017, 17(20): 12327-12340.
[12]	Kontkanen J, Lehtipalo K, Ahonen L, et al. Measurements of sub-3 nm particles using a particle size magnifier in different
	environments: From clean mountain top to polluted megacities [J]. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2017, 17(3): 2163-
	2187.
[13]	Xiao S, Wang M Y, Yao L, et al. Strong atmospheric new particle formation in winter in urban Shanghai, China [J]. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2015, 15(4): 1769-1781.
[14]	Yu H, Zhou L Y, Dai L, et al. Nucleation and growth of sub-3 nm particles in the polluted urban atmosphere of a megacity in
	China [J]. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2016, 16(4): 2641-2657.
[15]	Hao Jian, Yin Yan, Xiao Hui, et al. Observation of new particle formation and growth on Mount Huang [J]. China Environment
	Science, 2015, 35(1): 13-22 (in Chinese).
	郝囝, 银燕, 肖辉, 等. 黄山大气气溶胶新粒子生长特性观测分析 [J]. 中国环境科学, 2015, 35(1): 13-22.
[16]	Wang Honglei, Zhu Bin, Shen Lijuan, et al. Atmospheric particle formation events in Nanjing during summer 2010 [J].
	Environment Science, 2012, 33(3): 701-710 (in Chinese).
	王红磊, 朱彬, 沈利娟, 等. 南京市夏季大气气溶胶新粒子生成事件分析 [J]. 环境科学, 2012, 33(3): 701-710.
[17]	Ehn M, Thornton J A, Kleist E, et al. A large source of low-volatility secondary organic aerosol [J]. Nature, 2014, 506(7489):
47	6-479.
[18]	Kirkby J, Duplissy J, Sengupta K, et al. Ion-induced nucleation of pure biogenic particles [J]. Nature, 2016, 533(7604):
52	1-526.
[19]	Tang Q X, Cai R L, You X Q, et al. Nascent soot particle size distributions down to 1 nm from a laminar premixed burnerstabilized stagnation ethylene flame [J]. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2017, 36(1): 993-1000.
[20]	Wang Y, Kangasluoma J, Attoui M, et al. The high charge fraction of flame-generated particles in the size range below 3 nm
	measured by enhanced particle detectors [J]. Combustion and Flame, 2017, 176: 72-80.
[21]	Kangasluoma J, Franchin A, Duplissy J, et al. Operation of the Airmodus A11 nano condensation nucleus counter at various inlet pressures and various operation temperatures, and design of a new inlet system [J]. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques,
20	16, 9(7): 2977-2988.
[22]	Kangasluoma J, Kuang C A, Wimmer D, et al. Sub-3 nm particle size and composition dependent response of a nano- CPC
	battery [J]. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 2014, 7(3): 689-700.
[23]	Kangasluoma J, Kontkanen J. On the sources of uncertainty in the sub-3 nm particle concentration measurement [J]. Journal
	of Aerosol Science, 2017, 112: 34-51.
[24]	Cai R L, Chen D, Hao J M, et al. A miniature cylindrical differential mobility analyzer for sub-3 nm particle sizing [J]. Journal
	of Aerosol Science, 2017, 106: 111-119.
[25]	Cai R L, Jiang J K. A new balance formula to estimate new particle formation rate: Reevaluating the effect of coagulation
	scavenging [J]. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2017, 17: 12659-12675.
[26]	Stolzenburg M R, McMurry P H. Equations governing single and tandem DMA configurations and a new lognormal approximation to the transfer function [J]. Aerosol Science and Technology, 2008, 42(6): 421-432.
[27]	Deng C J, Fu Y Y, Dada L, et al. Seasonal characteristics of new particle formation and growth in urban Beijing [J]. Environmental science & technology, 2020, 54(14): 8547-8557.
[28]	Kangasluoma J, Junninen H, Lehtipalo K, et al. Remarks on ion generation for CPC detection efficiency studies in sub-3-nm
	size range [J]. Aerosol Science and Technology, 2013, 47(5): 556-563.
[29]	Fernandez de la Mora J, Kozlowski J. Hand-held di ´ fferential mobility analyzers of high resolution for 1-30 nm particles: Design
	and fabrication considerations [J]. Journal of Aerosol Science, 2013, 57: 45-53.[30] He K B, Yang F M, Ma Y L, et al. The characteristics of PM2.5 in Beijing, China [J]. Atmospheric Environment, 2001, 35:
49	59-4970.
[31]	Liu J Q, Jiang J K, Zhang Q, et al. A spectrometer for measuring particle size distributions in the range of 3 nm to 10 µm [J].
	Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2014, 10(1): 63-72.
[32]	Maher E F, Laird N M. EM algorithm reconstruction of particle size distributions from diffusion battery data [J]. Journal of
	Aerosol Science, 1985, 16(6): 557-570.
[33]	Wiedensohler A. An approximation of the bipolar charge distribution for particles in the submicron size range [J]. Journal of
	Aerosol Science, 1988, 19(3): 387-389.
[34]	Chen X T, McMurry P H, Jiang J K. Stationary characteristics in bipolar diffusion charging of aerosols: Improving the performance of electrical mobility size spectrometers [J]. Aerosol Science and Technology, 2018, 52(8): 809-813.
[35]	Cai R L, Jiang J K, Mirme S, et al. Parameters governing the performance of electrical mobility spectrometers for measuring
	sub-3 nm particles [J]. Journal of Aerosol Science, 2018, 127: 102-115.

Performance Intercomparison of Diethylene Glycol-Based Aerosol Size Spectrometers in Sub-3 nm Particle Size Range #br#

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

References 35

Related Articles 5

Recommended Articles

Metrics

Comments

[1]	CHEN Minwang , QIU Zhenwei , HONG Jin . Research on aerosol recognition and particle size distribution inversion based on scattering matrix [J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Environmental Optics, 2023, 18(3): 191-200.
[2]	WANG Hua-Dong, NI Zhi-Bei, FU Hong-Bo, JIAU Jun-Wei, Markus W. Sigrist, DONG Feng-Zhong. Research and Application Progress of LIBS in Aerosols Analysis [J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Environmental Optics, 2016, 11(5): 347-360.
[3]	LI Zhen-Zhen, WANG Zhen-Zhu, XU Xue-Zhe, HUANG Yin-Bo. Experimental Research on Corrcting Method of Fine Aerosol Particle [J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Environmental Optics, 2014, 9(6): 435-440.
[4]	LIU Xi-Chuan, GAO Tai-Chang, LIU Zhi-Tian. Effect of Atmospheric Aerosols on Laser Transmission Attenuation [J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Environmental Optics, 2012, (3): 181-190.
[5]	Dai Hai-ting, Liu Jian-guo, Lu Yi-huai, Wang Jie, Gui Hua-qiao, Wu De-xia . Characteristics of Aerosol Particle Size Distribution during Guangzhou Asian Games and Paralympic Games [J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Environmental Optics, 2012, 7(1): 24-30.