Quantitative measurements of organic aerosol (OA) have been made throughout the globe on ambient air and laboratory generated sources using an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). Further separation of AMS OA using positive matrix factorization (PMF) has provided several general OA classifications including hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA), and low-volatility OOA (LV-OOA) as the most common types and biomass burning OA (BBOA), cooking OA (COA), and isoprene-epoxydiol secondary OA (IEPOX SOA) as additional region-specific examples. By contrast, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) OA analysis has yielded hundreds of specific marker compounds ideal for improved source identification. GC/MS provides high chemical resolution, but lacks total quantification, whereas AMS provides OA quantification, but lacks in chemical resolution.We have recently developed novel measurement techniques based on gas chromatography separation principles to achieve high chemical resolution, but with improved mass throughput and utilization of AMS-type data analysis techniques to separate high-resolution mass spectral signals into major components. Here, preliminary field and laboratory measurements are compared to traditional GC/MS and AMS analyses of OA composition, and further explored for new insight on OA sources and atmospheric oxidation pathways.

Bridging gaps in organic aerosol chemical characterization through novel instrumentation and analysis procedures

248th National Meeting (2014)

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