There is a growing body of evidence from laboratory studies that in-particle chemical reactions are a source of light-absorbing organics, or �brown carbon,� in atmospheric aerosols. We will present an overview of our recent work on inorganic-organic reactions leading to the formation of light-absorbing secondary organic aerosol material. A methodology will be presented for inferring the optical properties of brown carbon-containing atmospheric particles from bulk measurements of laboratory samples, for direct comparison with field measurements and use in atmospheric chemistry and climate models. This approach will be applied to the formation of light-absorbing material in complex mixtures of organic material and inorganic salts, and the results will be compared to AERONET observations.

Chemical mechanisms of aerosol “brown carbon” formation: From laboratory studies to atmospheric particles

242nd National Meeting (2011)

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